A Plaquemines Parish jury ordered Chevron to pay $745 million in damages on Friday to restore an area of Louisiana coastal wetlands, a landmark verdict likely to have wider implications on dozens of other similar lawsuits.
The case was the first to go to trial among 41 parish lawsuits against oil companies seeking to hold them accountable for coastal damage The verdict may influence how other cases proceed as Louisiana struggles to find badly needed money to address its accelerating land loss crisis in the years ahead.
While coastal advocates welcomed the verdict as fair and a boost for wetlands restoration, oil and other business groups in Louisiana harshly condemned it, arguing it will harm the state’s economy in the long run. The total cost could be more than $1 billion once interest is calculated Gov Jeff Landry’s administration has been largely supportive of the oil and gas industry, but it intervened in the case on Plaquemines’ behalf opposing Chevron Landry’s spokesperson referred questions to Attorney General Liz Murrill, who called the verdict “fair” and thanked jurors for their work.
Friday
The verdict was the culmination of a monthlong trial that played out at a courthouse in Pointe a la Hache.
It pitted the Plaquemines Parish government, represented by lead attorney John Carmouche, of Baton Rouge-based law firm Talbot, Carmouche & Marcello, against oil giant Chevron, which was represented by a team of lawyers led by Mike Phillips.
Markets plunge for second day
against Trump tariffs
BY STAN CHOE Associated Press
said the industry has been struggling for 20 years.
La. shrimpers
After struggling to compete with imports, advocates optimistic
BY JOSIE ABUGOV Staff writer
After decades of plunging prices and a dwindling workforce, Louisiana shrimpers are cheering President Donald Trump’s tariffs on countries supplying the U.S. with almost all of its shrimp.
The coastal industry has for years struggled to compete against cheap foreign imports and a pattern of fraudulent mislabeling at seafood restaurants. But shrimpers and advocates feel renewed optimism in Trump’s “liberation day” tariffs announced Wednesday The shrimp industry’s reaction was one of the
ä See JURY, page 5A
The lawsuit had been initially filed in 2013. “I think this was a great win for our community,” said Phil Cossich, an attorney on the team that represented Plaquemines Parish. “It’s been a long time coming. This could be a great step in saving our coast.” Chevron plans to appeal “to address the numerous legal errors that led to this unjust result,” Phillips,
Immigration agents arrest 73-year-old grandfather in Lafayette
He fled Cuba and lived in U.S for 45 years
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
Forty-five years ago, Jose Fran-
cisco Garcia Rodriguez fled Cuba on a ship provided by the United States for people seeking refuge from the Cuban government
While on his way to work on Monday, the 73-year-old grandfather was picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents near his Lafayette home He is being held in an ICE processing center in Pine Prairie, a village in rural Evangeline Parish.
One of Rodriguez’s stepsons posted Monday on Facebook that his father had been taken by ICE agents at a Circle K at the corner of Johnston Street and Guilbeau Road. The family was quiet on the details until Thursday evening when Rodriguez’s stepdaughter Christian Cooper Riggs of Lafayette,
posted a video on social media telling the story of her father’s life and asking for help. Rodriguez arrived in the U.S. with just the clothes on his back, Riggs said, with no education and unable to speak English. He struggled and made mistakes, paid for them and for the next 43 years lived a good life, raising a family and working hard labor for 40-60 hours a week, paying taxes and paying into Social Security, which he never used. She did not elaborate on what kind of trouble he got into all those years ago. Three weeks ago, with ICE
ä See ARREST, page 5A
Acy Cooper
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Attorney John H. Carmouche, front row second from right, and his team pose at the Plaquemines Parish Courthouse on
STAFF FILE PHOTO By MARK SCHLEIFSTEIN
Oilfield and navigation canals cut through wetlands on the the west bank of Plaquemines Parish
BRIEFS
Officials say Russian strike in Ukraine kills 14
KYIV Ukraine A Russian ballistic missile strike Friday on a central Ukrainian city killed at least 14 people, including six children, Ukrainian officials said, as U.S. and European leaders pressed Russia to accept a ceasefire in the conflict.
At least 50 people were wounded in the strike on Kryvyi Rih — the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — in what the region’s leader Serhii Lysak described as an “assault against civilians.”
“The missile struck an area right next to residential buildings — hitting a playground and ordinary streets,” Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram.
Local authorities said the strike damaged about 20 apartment buildings, more than 30 vehicles, an educational building and a restaurant They said emergency responders were at the scene and psychologists were helping survivors Zelenskyy blamed the daily strikes on Russia’s unwillingness to end the war: “Every missile, every drone strike proves Russia wants only war.” He urged Ukraine’s allies to increase pressure on Moscow and bolster Ukraine’s air defenses.
Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for a full and immediate 30-day halt in the fighting, and the U.K. and French foreign ministers on Friday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in ceasefire talks to halt Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine.
“Our judgment is that Putin continues to obfuscate, continues to drag his feet,” U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy told reporters at NATO headquarters, standing alongside French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot in a symbolic show of unity
Measles cases so far this year double 2024
The U.S. now has more than double the number of measles cases it saw in all of 2024, with Texas reporting another large jump in cases and hospitalizations on Friday Other states with active outbreaks — defined as three or more cases — include New Mexico, Kansas, Ohio and Oklahoma The virus has been spreading in undervaccinated communities and since February, two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes
The multi-state outbreak confirms health experts’ fears that the virus will take hold in other U.S. communities with low vaccination rates and that the spread could stretch on for a year The World Health Organization said last week that cases in Mexico are linked to the Texas outbreak. Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000.
Judge moves legal case of Tufts student to Vt.
BOSTON A federal judge in Boston on Friday moved the case of a detained Tufts University doctoral student to Vermont, where the Turkish national was briefly held before being moved to an immigration detention facility in Louisiana Rumeysa Ozturk 30, was taken by immigration officials as she walked along a street in the Boston suburb of Somerville on March 25. After being taken to New Hampshire and then Vermont, she was put on a plane the next day and moved to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Basile.
Ozturk is among several people with ties to American universities who attended demonstrations or publicly expressed support for Palestinians during the war in Gaza and who recently had visas revoked or been stopped from entering the U.S Her lawyers filed a petition in Massachusetts seeking her release, but Justice Department lawyers argued that Ozturk’s petition was filed in the wrong state and should be dismissed or transferred to Louisiana.
Trump abruptly fires NSA director
BY LOLITA C. BALDOR and LISA MASCARO Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump has abruptly fired the director of the National Security Agency, according to U.S. officials and members of Congress, but the White House and the Pentagon have provided no reasons for the move
Senior military leaders were informed Thursday of the firing of Air Force Gen. Tim Haugh, who also oversaw the Pentagon’s Cyber Command, the officials said They received no advance notice about the decision to remove a four-star general with a 33-year career in intelligence and cyber operations, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel decisions.
The move has triggered sharp criticism from members of Congress and demands for an immediate explanation. And it marks the latest dismissal of national security officials by Trump at a time when his Republican administration faces criticism over his failure to take any action against other key
leaders’ use of an unclassified Signal messaging chat that included The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to discuss plans for a military strike. It’s unclear who now is in charge of the NSA and the Cyber Command.
Also fired was Haugh’s civilian deputy at the NSA, Wendy Noble.
The NSA notified congressional leadership and top lawmakers of the national security committees of the firing late Wednesday but did not give reasons, according to a person familiar with the situation who insisted on anonymity to discuss the matter The person said Noble has been reassigned to the office of the defense undersecretary for intelligence.
The White House did not respond to messages seeking comment The NSA referred questions about Haugh to the Defense Department The Pentagon did not respond to questions about why he was fired or provide other details.
Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, would only say, in a statement, that the department thanks Haugh “for his decades of service to our nation, culminating
as U.S. Cyber Command Commander and National Security Agency Director We wish him and his family well.”
Far-right activist and commentator Laura Loomer appeared to take credit Friday in a post on X, saying she raised concerns to Trump about Haugh’s ties to Gen. Mark Milley and the Biden administration and questioned the NSA chief’s loyalty to the president. Milley served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during Trump’s first term but has since become an outspoken critic.
“Given the fact that the NSA is arguably the most powerful intel agency in the world, we cannot allow for a Biden nominee to hold that position,” Loomer wrote.
“Thank you President Trump for being receptive to the vetting materials provided to you and thank you for firing these Biden holdovers.”
Loomer, who has claimed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks were an “inside job,” had discussed staff loyalty with Trump in an Oval Office meeting Wednesday, according to several people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition
Rains, floods pound South and Midwest
BY GEORGE WALKER IV and BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press
HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. — Torrential rains and flash flooding battered parts of the Midwest and South on Friday, killing a boy in Kentucky who was swept away as he walked to catch his school bus. Many communities were left reeling from tornadoes that destroyed entire neighborhoods and killed at least seven people earlier this week.
Round after round of heavy rains have pounded the central U.S. for days, and forecasters warned that it could persist through Saturday Satellite imagery showed thunderstorms lined up like freight trains over communities in Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky, according to the national Weather Prediction Center in Maryland In Frankfort, Kentucky, a 9-year-old boy died in the morning after floodwaters swept him away while he was walking to a school bus stop, Gov Andy Beshear said on social media. Officials said Gabriel Andrews’ body was found about a half-mile from where he went missing.
The downtown area of Hopkinsville, Kentucky — a city of 31,000 residents 72 miles northwest of Nashville — was submerged.
A dozen people and more than 40 pets had been rescued from homes as of the afternoon, a fire official said.
“The main arteries through Hopkinsville are probably 2 feet under water,” said Christian County Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam said earlier
Tony Kirves and some friends used sandbags and a vacuum to try to hold back rising waters that
covered the basement and seeped into the ground floor of his photography business in Hopkinsville.
Downtown was “like a lake,” he said.
“We’re holding ground,” he said. “We’re trying to maintain and keep it out the best we can.”
A corridor from northeast Texas through Arkansas and into southeast Missouri, which has a population of about 2.3 million, could see clusters of severe thunderstorms late Friday The National Weather Service’s Oklahoma-based Storm Prediction Center warned of the potential for intense tornadoes and large hail.
The seven people killed in the initial wave of storms that spawned powerful tornadoes on Wednesday and early Thursday were in Tennessee, Missouri and Indiana.
Tennessee Gov Bill Lee said entire neighborhoods in the hard-hit town of Selmer were “completely wiped out” and it was too early to know whether there were more deaths as searches continued.
Heavy rains were expected to continue in parts of Missouri, Kentucky and elsewhere in the coming days and could produce dangerous flash floods capable of sweeping away cars.
In Hopkinsville, 5 to 8 inches of rain had fallen by Friday morning, causing the Little River to surge over its banks.
A pet boarding business was under water, forcing rescuers to move dozens of dogs to a local animal shelter said Gilliam, the county executive. Crews rescued people from four or five vehicles and multiple homes, mostly by boat, said Randy Graham, the emergency manage-
ment director in Christian County
“This is the worst I’ve ever seen downtown,” Gilliam said.
Hundreds of Kentucky roads were impassable because of floodwaters, downed trees or mud and rock slides, and the number of closures were likely to increase with more rain late Friday and Saturday, Beshear said.
A landslide blocked a nearly 3-mile stretch of Mary Ingles Highway in the state’s north, according to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. A landslide closed the same section of road in 2019, and it reopened last year, WLWTTV reported.
Flash flooding is particularly worrisome in rural Kentucky where water can rush off the mountains into the hollows. Less than four years ago, dozens died in flooding in the eastern part of the state.
Extreme flooding across a corridor that includes Louisville, Kentucky, and Memphis — which have major cargo hubs — could also lead to shipping and supply chain delays, said Jonathan Porter, chief meteorologist at AccuWeather Forecasters attributed the violent weather to warm temperatures, an unstable atmosphere, strong wind shear and abundant moisture streaming from the Gulf. At least 318 tornado warnings have been issued by the National Weather Service since this week’s outbreak began Wednesday
The outburst comes at a time when nearly half of National Weather Service forecast offices have 20% vacancy rates after Trump administration job cuts — twice that of just a decade ago.
of anonymity to discuss the sensitive personnel manner A day later, Trump said he fired “some” White House National Security Council officials.
Rep. Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding to know why Haugh and Noble were fired.
“Public reporting suggests that your removal of these officials was driven by a fringe social media personality, which represents a deeply troubling breach of the norms that safeguard our national security apparatus from political pressure and conspiracy theories,” Himes, D-Conn., wrote.
Sen. Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, said Friday that he has “long warned about the dangers of firing military officers as a political loyalty test.”
“In addition to the other military leaders and national security officials Trump has fired, he is sending a chilling message throughout the ranks: don’t give your best military advice, or you may face consequences,” Reed said in a statement.
Israeli strikes kill at least 17 in Gaza
BY WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press
DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Israeli strikes killed more than a dozen people in the Gaza Strip early Friday, as Israel sent more ground troops into the Palestinian territory to ramp up its offensive against Hamas.
At least 17 people, some from the same family, were killed after an airstrike hit the southern city of Khan Younis, according to hospital staff. Hours later, people were still searching through the rubble, looking for survivors.
The attack came a day after Israeli strikes killed at least 100 Palestinians.
Hundreds more have died in the past two weeks, as Israel has intensified operations, intended to pressure Hamas to release remaining hostages it took during its attack on Israel in October 2023. On Friday, Israel said it had begun ground activity in northern Gaza,
in order to expand its security zone. Israel’s military had issued sweeping evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza before expected ground operations. The U.N. humanitarian office said around 280,000 Palestinians have been displaced since Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas last month. In recent days, Israel has vowed to seize large parts of the Palestinian territory and establish a new security corridor across it. To pressure Hamas, Israel has imposed a monthlong blockade on food, fuel and humanitarian aid that has left civilians facing acute shortages as supplies dwindle a tactic that rights groups say is a war crime. Israel said earlier this week that enough food had entered Gaza during a six-week truce to sustain the territory’s roughly 2 million Palestinians for a long time.
person rides a bike Friday in a flooded street in Hopkinsville, Ky.
As markets reel, Trump spends day at his golf course
President says his trade policies will never change
BY FATIMA HUSSEIN, CHRIS MEGERIAN and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Two days after sending the economy reeling by announcing widespread tariffs, President Donald Trump insisted his trade policies will never change as he remained ensconced in a bubble of wealth and power in Florida.
He woke up on Friday morning at Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach, and headed to his nearby golf course a few miles away after writing on social media that “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO GET RICH.”
Several supporters stood on the sidewalk as Trump, wearing his signature red “Make America Great Again” hat and white polo shirt, glided down a street lined with palm trees. They waved to him and he waved back part of a ritual that plays out every weekend that he’s in town.
The Republican president was not expected to appear publicly, although he’s scheduled to attend a candlelit dinner for MAGA Inc., an allied political organization, on Friday evening
He spent Thursday in Miami at a different one of his golf courses, where he attended a Saudi-funded tournament. He landed in Marine One and was picked up in a golf cart driven by his son Eric Trump has often proved impervious to the kind of scandals or gaffes that would damage another politician, but his decision to spend the weekend at his gilded properties could test Americans’ patience at a time when their retirement savings are evaporating along with the stock market. The tariffs are expected to increase prices by thousands of dollars per year and slow economic growth, and there are fears about a potential recession.
Democrats called out Trump for being in a “billionaire bubble,” as Sen. Chuck Schumer put it, while millions watched their investments sink.
“While the American people are trying to put food on the table, I see that Donald Trump’s out there playing golf,” said Sen. Ben Ray Luján, a Democrat from New Mexico. “The president should be listening to people across the country Maybe he should go into a grocery store, do some walking, talking to folks.”
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Friday that the tariffs were “significantly larger than expected” and are “highly likely” to cause
more inflation at least in the short term but possibly in the long term as well.
However, Trump has described his policies as a painful yet necessary step to encourage companies to relocate their operations to the United States. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Tucker Carlson in an interview released Friday that “I think we have to try this, and I have a high confidence ratio it’s going to work.”
The president spent Friday morning defending himself on Truth Social, his social media platform, and vowing to stay the course.
“TO THE MANY INVESTORS COMING INTO THE UNITED STATES AND INVESTING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF MONEY, MY POLICIES WILL NEVER CHANGE,” he wrote.
Although experts have harshly criticized the tariffs, he’s found some support on TikTok. He shared a video that said “Trump is crashing the stock market” and “he’s doing it on purpose” as part of a “secret game he’s playing, and it could make you rich.”
The video featured a supposed quote from legendary investor Warren Buffett praising Trump, but Buffett’s
company issued a statement saying it was fabricated. The video also said that Trump’s goal is to push the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, something that the president explicitly called for later in the morning.
“This would be a PERFECT time” for Powell to cut interest rates, he wrote. “CUT INTEREST RATES, JEROME, AND STOP PLAYING POLITICS!”
With foreign leaders scrambling in response to Trump’s announcement this week, the president lashed out and looked to cut deals. He said he spoke with Viet-
namese leader To Lam and claimed Vietnam wants to eliminate its tariffs on U.S goods if it can make a deal with the U.S. He also criticized China for announcing its own tariffs on U.S. imports.
“CHINA PLAYED IT WRONG, THEY PANICKED THE ONE THING THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO DO!” he wrote.
Republicans suggested that Trump’s policies would be the start of a parley with foreign countries.
“The president is a dealmaker if nothing else, and he’s going to continue to deal country by country with each of them,” said Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming. He added that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had told Senate Republicans this week that the tariffs would be a “high level mark with the ultimate goal of getting them reduced” unless other countries retaliate.
Meanwhile, Trump also celebrated a new report showing the U.S added 228,000 jobs in March, beating expectations Although the numbers were a snapshot of the economy before the tariff announcement, Trump claimed vindication, saying they already show his moves are working.
“HANG TOUGH,” he wrote. “WE CAN’T LOSE!!!” Megerian and Groves reported from Washington.
Judge says U.S. must return mistakenly deported man
Maryland man sent to El Salvador prison
BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and BEN FINLEY Associated Press
GREENBELT, Md. — A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to arrange for the return of a Maryland man to the United States after he was mistakenly deported to a notorious El Salvador prison, while a U.S. government attorney was at a loss to explain what happened.
The ruling rejected the White House’s claim that it lacks the power to retrieve Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national, because he is no longer in the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has corrected deportation errors in previous years, according to Abrego Garcia’s attorney and legal experts alike.
The government filed an appeal immediately after the decision and an official from the Department of Homeland Security doubled down on the government’s assertion that Abrego Garcia is a dangerous gang member
LUIS MAGANA
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOSE
Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador speaks Friday during a news conference at CASA’s Multicultural Center in Hyattsville, Md
who should not be allowed back into the country
ICE expelled the 29-yearold Abrego Garcia last month despite an immigration judge’s 2019 ruling that shielded him from deportation to El Salvador where he faced likely persecution by local gangs.
“The record reflects that Abrego Garcia was apprehended in Maryland without legal basis and without further process or legal justification was removed to El Salvador,” U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis wrote in her order.
Before she issued the ruling, Xinis described the de-
portation as “an illegal act” and pressed Justice Department attorney Erez Reuveni for answers, many of which he didn’t have.
Reuveni conceded to Xinis that Abrego Garcia should not have been removed from the U.S. and shouldn’t have been sent to El Salvador He couldn’t tell the judge upon what authority he was arrested in Maryland.
“I’m also frustrated that I have no answers for you for a lot of these questions,” he said.
The judge also questioned why Abrego Garcia was sent to the prison in El Salvador, which observers say is rife
with human rights abuses.
“Why is he there, of all places?” asked Xinis, who was nominated by President Barack Obama.
“I don’t know,” Reuveni replied. “That information has not been given to me.”
Reuveni had asked the judge for more time 24 hours — for the government to possibly broker Abrego Garcia’s return.
Abergo Garcia’s attorney, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, told the judge he was dismayed that the government had done nothing to get his client back, even after admitting its errors.
“Plenty of tweets. Plenty of White House press conferences. But no actual steps taken with the government of El Salvador to make it right,” he said.
Sandoval-Moshenberg said the government’s response to its error was essentially to say, “We’ve tried nothing, and we’re all out of options.”
“This is not something that’s outside of the government’s power,” he said, noting that the U.S. routinely extradites gang leaders, drug traffickers and other imprisoned people from other countries.
South Korea’s president
BY HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press
SEOUL, South Korea South Korea’s Constitutional Court unanimously removed Yoon Suk Yeol from office Friday, ending his tumultuous presidency and setting up a new election, four months after he threw the nation into turmoil with an ill-fated declaration of martial law
The verdict capped a dramatic fall for Yoon, a former star prosecutor who became president in 2022, just a year after he entered politics.
In a nationally televised hearing, the court’s acting chief Moon Hyung-bae said the eight-member bench found Yoon’s actions were unconstitutional and had a grave impact.
tics, diplomacy and all other areas,” Moon said.
“Given the negative impact on constitutional order caused by the defendant’s violation of laws and its ripple effects are grave, we find that the benefits of upholding the constitution by dismissing the defendant far outweigh the national losses from the dismissal of the president,” the justice concluded.
Anti-Yoon protesters near the court erupted into tears and danced when the verdict was announced in the late morning. Two women wept as they hugged and an old man near them leapt to his feet and screamed with joy The crowd later marched through Seoul streets.
Outside Yoon’s official residence, many supporters cried, screamed and yelled at journalists when they saw the news of the verdict on a giant TV screen But they quickly cooled down after their organizer pleaded for calm.
shaken!” a protest leader shouted on stage. “Anyone who accepts this ruling and prepares for an early presidential election is our enemy.”
No major violence has been reported by late afternoon.
“Political risks related to domestic polarization and policy instability remain,” Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, said. “But the Constitutional Court’s unanimous ruling has removed a major source of uncertainty Korean government institutions have withstood a volatile mix of legislative obstruction and executive overreach that posed the greatest challenge to democracy in a generation.”
“By declaring martial law in breach of the constitution and other laws, the defendant brought back the history of abusing state emergency decrees, shocked the people and caused confusion in the society, economy, poli-
An election will be held within two months for a new president. But a festering divide over Yoon’s impeachment could complicate South Korea’s efforts to deal with crucial issues like President Donald Trump’s tariffs and other “America First” policies, observers say Yoon Suk Yeol
“We will absolutely not be
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON
President Donald Trump is driven by his son, Eric Trump, as he arrives Thursday at Trump National Doral during the LIV Golf Miami tournament in Miami.
to its lowest levelsince2021. Other basic building blocks for economic growth, such as copper,also saw prices slide on worries the trade war will weaken the global economy China’sresponse to U.S. tariffs caused an immediate acceleration of losses in markets worldwide
TheCommerce Ministry in Beijing said it would respond to the 34%tariffs imposed by theU.S. on imports from China with its own 34%tariff on imports of allU.S. products beginning April 10. The United States and China are the world’stwo largest economies.
Markets briefly recovered some of their losses after the releaseof Friday morning’sU.S. jobsreport, which said employers accelerated their hiring by more last month than economists expected. It’sthe latest signal that the U.S. job market has remained relatively solid through the start of 2025, and it’s beenalinchpin keeping the U.S. economy out of arecession
Butthatjobsdatawas backwardlooking, and the fear hitting financial markets is about what’sto come.
“The world has changed, and theeconomic conditionshave changed,” said Rick Rieder,chief investment officer of global fixed
SHRIMPERS
Continued from page1A
few bright spots so far following Trump’sannouncement, which has caused markets to plummet, provoked fears of awider economic downturn and damaged relations with longtime allies.
“We’ve been dying for the last 20 years, and the last four years have really been tough,” said Acy Cooper,the president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association. “Then Trump comes in —that’s why we voted forhim. We want change. We can’tlive like this anymore.” Cooper, afourth-generation shrimper in Venice, has witnessed plummeting shrimpprices during his 50 yearsinthe business.Inthe 1980s, he said he’d get $1 for apound of small shrimp This year,hegot 50 centsa pound.
“You know everything in this country is going up, and ourshrimp are going down,” Cooper,64, said. According to the FDA, 94% of the seafood consumedin the U.S. is imported from other countries. The suppliers that account for the majority of U.S. shrimp imports include India, Ecuador,Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. Trump imposed tariffs on all of these countries at rates ranging from aminimum of 10% to as high as 46%.
Asteep downturn in the price of importedshrimp since 2021 has led the U.S. shrimpindustry to lose almost half of its market values, according to the Southern Shrimp Alliance,anindustry group. But the drop in wholesaleprices hasnot led to adecrease in market prices in the same time period.
incomeatBlackRock.
Thecentralquestion looking ahead is: Will thetrade war cause aglobalrecession?Ifitdoes, stock prices may need to come down even more than they have already TheS&P 500isdown 17.4% from its record set in February
Trump seemed unfazed. From Mar-a-Lago,his private club in Florida,heheaded to hisgolf course afew miles away after writingonsocial media that “THIS IS AGREATTIME TO GET RICH.”
TheFederal Reserve could cushion the blow of tariffs on the econo-
my by cutting interest rates, which can encourage companies and households to borrow and spend. Butthe Fed may have lessfreedom to movethan it would like.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Fridaythattariffscoulddrive up expectations forinflation. That could prove more damaging than high inflation itself, because it can drive avicious cycleofbehavior that only worsensinflation.U.S households havealready said they’re bracing for sharp increases to their bills.
“Our obligation is to keep longer-
terminflationexpectations well anchored and to makecertain that aone-time increase in theprice level does not become an ongoing inflation problem,” Powell said.
Thatcould indicate ahesitance to cut rates because lower rates can give inflation morefuel.
Much will depend on howlong Trump’stariffs stick and what kind of retaliations other countries deliver. Some of Wall Street is holding onto hope that Trump will lower the tariffs after prying “wins” from othercountriesfollowing negotiations.
Trump has given mixed signals on that.OnFriday, he said Vietnam “wantstocut their Tariffs downto ZERO if they are able to make an agreement with the U.S.” Trump also criticized China’sretaliation, saying on his Truth Social platform that “CHINA PLAYED IT WRONG, THEYPANICKED THE ONE THING THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO DO!”
Trump has said Americans may feel “somepain” because of tariffs, buthehas also said the long-termgoals, including getting moremanufacturingjobsback to theUnited States, are worth it. On Thursday,helikened the situation to amedical operation,where the U.S. economy is the patient.
“For investorslooking at their portfolios, it could have felt like an operation performed without anesthesia,” said Brian Jacobsen, chiefeconomist at AnnexWealth
Management.
But Jacobsenalso said the next surprise forinvestors couldbe how quickly tariffs get negotiated down. “The speed of recovery will depend on how, andhow quickly, officials negotiate,” he said. On Wall Street, stocksofcompaniesthatdolots of business in China fell to someofthe sharpest losses.
DuPont dropped12.7% after China said its regulators are launchinganantitrust investigation into DuPontChina group, asubsidiary of the chemical giant. It’sone of several measures targeting American companiesand in retaliation forthe U.S. tariffs GE Healthcaregot 12%ofits revenue last year from the China region, and it fell 16%.
Alltold,the S&P500 fell 322.44 points to 5,074.08. The Dow Jones IndustrialAverage dropped 2,231.07 to 38,314.86, andthe Nasdaq composite fell 962.82 to 15,587.79. In stock marketsabroad,Germany’sDAX lost 5%, France’sCAC 40 dropped 4.3% and Japan’sNikkei 225 fell 2.8%.
In thebondmarket, Treasury yields fell, but theypared their drops following Powell’scautious statements about inflation. The yield on the10-year Treasury fell to 4.01%from 4.06% late Thursday and from roughly 4.80% early this year.Ithad gone below3.90% in the morning.
“We’ve been dying forthe last 20 years, and the last fouryears have really been tough.Then Trump comes in —that’swhy we voted for him. We want change. We can’tlive like this anymore.”
ACyCOOPER, Louisiana Shrimp Association president
“Consumers are not getting adeal. Idon’tcare how youlook at it,”Cooper said. “WhenIsellshrimp for50 cents and youeat themata restaurant for $19, that’s the problem.”
Last month, U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, reintroduced theSave Our Shrimpers Act alongside Troy Nehls,ofTexas, which would prohibit federal dollars from financing foreign shrimpfarmingand processing.
He also wrote aletter to Trump in February requesting tariffs on seafood importsfrom China, Ecuador, Indonesiaand Vietnam “Domestic shrimpers, fishermenand crawfish producersinLouisiana and across the country face significant challengescompetingagainst foreign seafood industries that areheavily subsidized and engage in illegaldumping intothe United States,” the letterstated. Whilethe U.S. brings in seafood from across the globe, thedomestic shrimp industry largely sells within thecountry.U.S. shrimpers aretherefore less worried about retaliatory tariffs and welcome the import taxes as atool to raise domestic shrimp prices.
“I don’tthink it’sgoing to solveall of ourproblems for sure, but it’sastep in the rightdirection,” saidJeremyZirlott, ashrimperin
Alabama and aboardmember of the Southern Shrimp Alliance.
Driving up the costofdomestic shrimpwill help the struggling industry,Zirlott said, but perniciousfraud and ashrinking labor force will eat away at the industry without additional support.
Restaurateur Dana Honn founded theLouisiana ShrimpFestival last year to support local fishers. Honn, who also co-founded Porgy’sSeafood Market and restaurant in New Orleans, said there’sbroad consensus amongshrimpers and advocates thatthe tariffs will positively counterthe effects of imports. But that doesn’tmean the new policieswill address allofthe issues plaguing the dying industry
“The tariff might be one part of fixing thebig problem, which is the domestic market purchasing alot of imports,” Honn said. “Much of thereason they’re doing it is because of misinformation, mislabeling, outright fraud.”
Honn foundedthe shrimp festival in New Orleans after genetictestinguncovered mislabeling at twoprevious shrimp festivals in Morgan City and Gulf Shores, Alabama. Vendors were selling imported shrimp advertised as local. Asimilar pattern came to lightafter arandomized testing of Baton Rouge restaurants.
“People come to New Orleans assuming they’reeating local seafood,when quite often they’re not,” Honn said.
Anew law that recently took effect seeks to address themislabeling problem. As of Jan. 1, Louisiana restaurantsare required to clearly statethe country of origin of the shrimp andcrawfish that they’re selling. Restaurants
in violation could face thousands of dollars in fines.
In Honn’sexperience, consumers wanttoeat local catch. When people have accurate information and understand the stakes, they are“100% on board with supporting ourfishers,” Honn said.
David Williams, the founderofSeaDConsulting, which conducts rapid genetic testing for shrimp, saidthe tariffs and new legislation mean thatthe shrimp season should start on abuoyant note.
“Thatplaces us in avery good situation with regard to the fisherman getting more money, whichiswhat we need,” Williams said. “If there’snofishing boat, there’snoshrimpindustry.”
But there are still concerns. In anticipation of tariffs, importers “over shipped” shrimp to the U.S.,Williamssaid. The large quantities of imports andcomparatively scarce amount of high-demand domestic shrimpcould lead to fraud at any point during the supply chain, he warned. He also voiced concerns over the disparity in tariffs for the top shrimp-supplying countries. India,whichsupplies the U.S. with over 40% of its imported shrimp, is facing atariff of 26% while Ecuador,which supplies the U.S. with around 25%ofits imported shrimp,has the minimum universal tariff rate of 10%. Companies that farm shrimpacross the globe mayredirecttheir
IndianproducttoEurope, while sending moreEcuadorian supply to the U.S. For Zirlott, who owns threeshrimpboats,the tariffs and shrimp scrutiny is notenoughtobuoy the coastalindustry.What shrimpers need is government and public support to encourage young people to enter the field. This could mean investment into docks, boats and incentives for captains and processors, but also consumers shelling out morefor local seafood. “The public has to be willing to pay more for the domestic product we produce,” he said. Email Josie Abugov at josie.abugov@theadvocate. com.
working life,through employer-provided benefits.When those benefits endwithretirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocket can come as a shock,leading people to put off or even go without care
Simply put— without dentalinsurance, there may be an importantgap in your healthcare coverage.
Medicare doesn’tpay for dental care.1
That’sright. As good as Medicare is, it wasnever meanttocovereverything. Thatmeans if you wantprotection,you need to purchase individual insurance.
Early detection canprevent small problems from becoming expensive ones.
The best waytopreventlarge dental bills is preventivecare. TheAmerican Dental Association recommends checkups twice ayear.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RICHARD DREW Specialist AnthonyMatesic works on the floor of the Newyork Stock ExchangeonFridayasstocks plungedfor asecond day.
thefirm’slawyer,said in astatement. “Chevron is not the cause of the land loss occurring in Breton Sound.”
Jurors deliberated for about four hours before arrivingattheir decision. The damage award breaks down as $575 million for land loss, $161 million for pollution and $8.6 million for abandoned equipment, fora totalamountof$744.6million.
Plaquemines Parish hadasked the jury to award $2.6 billion
The full amount that Chevron mayeventuallyhave to pay,interestincluded, is around $1.2 billion, according to Carmouche’steam.
Chevron disputes that figure. Interest accrues from the date the case was filed.
‘Could be alifeline’
Plaquemines alleged thatTexaco skirted state law by failing to apply for coastal permits and not removing oil and gas infrastructure from its site when it stopped using an oil field in Breton Sound. It argued that massivecoastal land loss and pollution canbedirectly linked to Texaco’soil and gas activity Chevron, whichbought Texaco in 2001,saidthat theregulations in question went into effectin 1980 and were not intended to applytooil and gas activity that began before that. The company doesn’tdeny that land loss has occurred in the areaaround the site of the oil field, but maintains the oil and gas activity wasnot responsible for it.
The case has taken on outsized importance because it strikes at theheart of Louisiana’slandloss crisis. While the leveesholding the Mississippi River in place set the problem in motion, oil and gas activity has been amajor contributor due to the thousandsof miles of canals cut through wetlands and because of fossil fuel extraction exacerbating land subsidence.
As aresult of all those factors and more, the state has lost around 2,000 square miles of land over the past century —about the size of Delaware. Sea level rise is projected to greatly worsenthe problem in the decades ahead.
The state has a50-year Coastal Master Plan in place to salvage
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agents detaining immigrants elsewhere under President Donald Trump’spolicies, Rodriguez told Riggs he was afraid ICE would pick him up and deport him.
“I said ‘No, Papa. They’re not coming for you,’”she recalled. “‘They want bad guys and you’re not abad guy.’”
Because of his earlier troubles, Rodriguez wasn’t able to become an official citizen, despite10 years of trying, she said.
“Wethought once he paid his time, once he did everything that the authorities asked him to do, that was it,” Riggs said. “Nobody told us he had been put on aremoval list.” Garcia was told by officials and lawyers three years ago, she said, that it would be better to stop trying, to lay low
what it can, but it is facing severe moneyshortages in thenearfuture. It has used billions in settlements and fines related to the2010 BP oil spill to payfor large-scale restoration work, but that money expires by 2032.
The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, anonprofitthat has been working to restore Louisiana’scoast fordecades,saidthat theverdict could provide muchneeded funding.
“Our state has asophisticated, science-based coastalmaster plan that will help us preserve our communities andculture, but we simplydon’t havethe money to implement allthe projects,” said the organization’scommunica-
tionsdirector,James Karst. “This type of funding could be alifeline, helping us do the work that will benefit everyone whodepends on healthy wetlands.”
‘A chillingmessage That view wasnot shared by Louisiana’spolitically powerful oil and business interests.
TheLouisiana Mid-Continent Oil andGas Association’spresident, Tommy Faucheux, indicated that theverdict would chill economic activity and worsen thesituation as aresult. “Louisiana cannot prosper in its current litigious climate, when misguided lawsuitscan attack the industry that is our main econom-
ic driver,”hesaid in astatement. “Today’sverdictsends amessage to the rest of theworld thatLouisiana is not an attractive place for industry or newinvestments.”
TheLouisiana Associationof Business and Industry echoed that, noting thatthe state’soil and gas industry “supports more than 250,000 jobs and contributes billions of dollars annually to our state’seconomy,”the association’s president andCEO Will Green said in astatement. The verdict, he added,“threatens those economicbenefitsbut also sendsa chilling message to businesses across the country about the risks of operating in Louisiana.” ThePelicanInstitute, afree-
“Our statehas asophisticated,
plan that will help us preserve our communities and culture, but we simply don’thavethe money to implement
and continuetowork
“I understand that we have an immigration problem. Ido,” Riggs said. “I understand that our country cannotharborevery single person that crosses itsborders.
Iunderstand that thereare really bad people that we have to find.”
But starting with a73-yearold grandfather who has a heart condition and who is theprimary caretaker of his wife with dementia is not the solution,she said. “It is aproblem that has to be fixedwith asurgeon’s blade.Not amachete.”
Riggs asked thepublic to contact their elected officials to ask for theirhelpin freeing Rodriguez. And she asked for prayers.
ICE agents have reportedly been seen elsewhere in Lafayette this week.
Tiffany De Leon Steward, of Lafayette, said she saw a maninanSUV withFederal Enforcement written on it
sitting in herOakbourne neighborhood Monday watching Hispanic workers as they putanew roofona house.
Others reported on social media that they’ve seen ICE agentsinshopping centers and at astorespecializing in Hispanic food.
Trump promised to crack down on illegal immigration, focusing on those who committed violent crimes.Since being sworn into office, he hasfollowed through on that promise in sweeping measures that include arresting, detaining anddeporting hundreds, even those whoare not accused or convicted of violent crimes
Arecentlyreleased poll suggests that about half of U.S.adultsapprove of Trump’sapproach to immigration.
Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.
market think tank in New Orleans, andGrowLouisiana, an organizationthatadvocates for the energy industry in Louisiana, also issued statements saying that the verdict would costthe state jobs.
Carmouche said he planned to charge aheadwiththe otherlawsuits, sayingthe companies that helpeddamagethe coastmustbe held responsible.His efforts followa long andpolitically divisive historyofLouisiana debating if and how it should seek to force oil companies to payfor coastal damage.
“This is just the first case in the fight to restore andrenew Louisiana’scoastal and marsh areas,” he said in astatementafter the verdict.
“There are 40 such cases, and ourenergy is focused on securing appropriateverdictsand awards for everyparish involved in these actions. If we continue to be successfulinour efforts, these parishes, and Louisiana,will have sent aclear message that Louisiana’sfuture must be built around anew balance between our energy industry andour environmentalnecessities.”
Email AlexLubbenatalex. lubben@theadvocate.com.
STAFFPHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Chevron attorneys walk past the Old Plaquemines Parish Courthouse in Pointe álaHache on Friday.
JAMES KARST,The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana
Nearly half have 20% vacancyrates
BY SETH BORENSTEIN AP sciencewriter
WASHINGTON After Trump administration job cuts,nearly half of National Weather Service forecast offices have 20%vacancy rates
—twice that of just adecade ago —as severe weather chugs across the nation’sheartland, according to data obtained by The Associated Press.
Detailed vacancy data for all 122 weather field offices show eight offices are missing more than 35% of their staff —including those in Arkansas where tornadoesand torrential rain hit this week —according to statistics crowdsourced by more than adozen National Weather Service employees. Experts said vacancyrates of 20% or higher amount to critical understaffing, and 55 of the 122 sites reach that level. The weather offices issue routine daily forecasts, but alsourgent upto-the-minute warnings during dangerous stormoutbreaks such as the tornadoes that killed seven people this week and “catastrophic”flooding that’scontinuing through the weekend. The weather service this week has logged at least 75 tornado and 1,277severe weather preliminary reports.
Because of staffing shortages and continued severe weather, meteorologists atthe Louisville office wereunable to surveytornado damage Thursday,which is traditionally doneimmediatelyto help improve future forecasts and warnings, thelocal weather office told local media in Kentucky. Meteorologists there had to chose between gathering information that will help in the future and warning about immediate danger
“It’sacrisis situation,” said Brad Coleman, apastpresident of the American Meteorological Society whousedtobethe meteorologist in charge of theweather service’sSeattle office andisnow aprivate meteorologist.“Iamdeeply concerned that we will inevitably loselives as aresultofthe added risk due to this short-staffing.”
Former National WeatherService chief Louis Uccellini said if thenumbers are right,it’strouble.
“No one can predict when any office getsstretched so thin that it will break, butthese numbers would indicate that several of them arethere or gettingclose, especially when you factorthat large segments of the country are facing oncoming threatsofsevere weather, flooding rains while othersare facingominous significantfire risks,” Uccellini saidinanemail.
Thevacancy numbers were compiledinaninformal but comprehensive effort by weather ser-
Many National WeatherService officesunderstaffed
viceworkers after thecuts spearheaded by Elon Musk’sDepartmentofGovernment Efficiency They checked on individualoffice staffing levels and lookedathow they compared to the past. Staffing levels, including vacancies, aredetailed andcross-referenced by offices, regions, positions and past trends, with specialnotes on whether efforts are being made to fill them.
The AP,after obtaining the list from asource outside the weather service, soughttoverify the numbers by calling individual weather offices, checking online staff lists
and interviewing other employees notinvolvedinthe data-gathering effort.The workers’ data sometimes varied slightly fromdata shownonweatherservice websites, though employees said those could be out of date.
Rep.Eric Sorensen,anIllinois Democrat and the only meteorologist in Congress, said his office independently obtainedthe data andheverifiedpartsofitwith weatherprofessionalsheknows in Midwestern weather service offices, which arecalledWFOs. The Davenport-Quad Cities office near hishomehas a37.5% vacancyrate
“They’re doingheroiceffort. Just withwhat happened the other day with the tornado outbreak, the killer tornadooutbreak, Isaw incredible work beingdonebythe WFOs downaround Memphis and up to Louisville.Incrediblework that saved people’slives,” Sorensen told the AP on Friday.“Going forward with these types of cuts, we can’t guarantee that people are going to be as safe as they were.”
“I’m incredibly concerned because this affects everyone in every part of the country,” Sorensen said, noting thepotential for severe storms Friday in House Speaker Mike Johnson’shome district near Shreveport, where thedata shows a13% vacancy rate, well below the average for thesouth and the rest of the country The employees’ data, which goes back to 2015, showed that in March 2015 the overall vacancy rate was 9.3%.Ten years later,asofMarch 21, it was 19%. The weather service did not immediately respond to arequest for comment.
Some northern andcentral stations —suchasRapid City,South Dakota,with a41.7% vacancy rate, Albany,New York, at 25%, Portland, Maine, at 26.1% andOmaha, Nebraska at 34.8% —have been so short-staffed that they’ve curtailed weather balloon launches that said provide vitalobservations foraccurate forecasts.
BANGKOK Search teamsinMyanmar recovered more bodies from the ruins of buildings on Friday,a week after amassive earthquake killed more than 3,300 people, as the focus turns towardthe urgent humanitarian needs in acountry already devastated by acontinuing civil war United Nations humanitarian chief TomFletcher,who is also the emergency relief coordinator,arrived Friday in Myanmar in an effort to spuraction following the March 28 quake. Ahead of the visit, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterresappealed to the internationalcommu-
nity to immediately step up funding for quake victims “tomatch the scaleofthis crisis,”and he urged unimpededaccess to reach those in need.
“The earthquake has supercharged the suffering withthe monsoon season just around the corner,” he said Myanmar’smilitary and several keyarmed resistance groups have alldeclared ceasefires in the wake of theearthquake to facilitatethe flowofhumanitarian aid.
But the U.N.’sHuman Rights OfficeonFriday accusedthe military of continuingattacks, claiming there weremorethan 60 attacks afterthe earthquake, including 16 since themilitary announced atemporaryceasefire on Wednesday
“I urge ahalt to all military operations, andfor thefocus to be on assisting thoseimpacted by thequake,aswell as ensuring unhindered access to humanitarian organizations thatare ready to support,” said U.N. High Commissioner for Human RightsVolker Türk said. “I hope this terrible tragedy can be aturning point for thecountry towards an inclusive political solution.”
Announcing its ceasefire, the militaryalso said it would still take“necessary”measures against resistance groups, if they usethe ceasefire to regroup, train or launch attacks, and the groups have said they reserved theright to defend themselves.
Myanmar’s military seized pow-
er in 2021 fromthe democratically elected government of AungSan Suu Kyi, sparking what has turned into acivil war
The quake worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis, with more than 3million people displaced from theirhomes and nearly20million in need even before it hit, according to the United Nations. Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, head of the military government, said the quake’sdeath toll has reached 3,301, with 4,792 injured and about 221 missing, according to areportonstate television MRTV.HeisinBangkok attending asummit meeting of leaders from the Bay of Bengal region. It is arare visit for the gener-
al, who usually restricts his few foreign trips to alliesRussiaand China. He and his government are shunned andsanctionedbyWesternnations forusurping power andtheiralleged human rights violations in repressing opposition and carrying out abrutal war Britain, which had already given $13 milliontopurchase emergency itemslikefood, waterand shelter, pledged an additional $6.5 million in fundstomatch an appeal from Myanmar’sDisasters Emergency Committee, according to the U.K. Embassy in Yangon.
The World Food Program said so farithas reached 24,000 survivors, but wasscaling up its efforts to assist 850,000 with food and cash assistance forone month.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByADRIAN SAINZ
A heart-to-heart walk
Seven decades of alumni flood the halls of Lafayette High before school is demolished
BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer
Lafayette High alum Thomas
Beasley stood in the middle of his former band room, gazing at the trophies, instrument cases, music stands and piles of old sheet music that will soon be demolished in favor of sleek new facilities at the newly constructed Lafayette High School campus.
“It doesn’t look anything like when I was here,” Beasley said “Of course, there was no air conditioning when I was here, and all that wall where those trophies were windows that cranked open.
“I got to experience the place basically brand-new I hope they build it back nice.”
Beasley graduated in 1963 from what was then Lafayette Parish’s newest high school building. The current Lafayette High campus, at 3000
ä See WALK, page 2B
“This was home. We were family here. This was a magical place for the people here, in the time we were here. ... And I’m so excited about the
It’s going to be unbelievable, and there will be great memories when the
PETA’s ‘Hell on Wheels’ truck visits Acadiana
Sunday’s Soda Fountain draws animal protest
BY JA’KORI MADISON
“Hell on Wheels” truck. “When we learned that PETA was coming here to protest, I decided to cook them something delicious,” Rogas said. “I have a pita dog which is a toasted pita bread — a play on PETA — with pork bacon and a hot dog.” PETA, a sometimes-controversial nonprofit that works to end the abuse of animals, has visited restaurants and stores across the South with its mobile campaign. The group’s “Hell on Wheels” truck has pictures of pigs on the side, and its members park the vehicle in front of a business and play the sound of pigs’ “panicked screams.” Sunday’s owner Setareh Mirian-Delcambre said she received a text from a friend stating her restaurant was the only one in Lafayette that the organization planned to visit. “I immediately thought I was being pranked because I received the text the morning after April Fools’ Day,”
Delcambre said. “I just don’t understand why us out of every place in Lafayette, and then we had a lot of people in support of us, so it became a blessing in disguise.”
The restaurant serves salads, soups and other entrees that include vegetarian options as well as dairy-free options for ice cream and milkshakes, Declambre said. Only a minor portion of the menu includes pork options, she said.
“We have always made sure we accommodated everyone, which a lot of restaurants don’t have, so it was so peculiar to hear they decided to come here,” Declambre said. PETA Executive Vice President Tracy
See PETA, page 2B
Lafayette closing
BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor
BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer
STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD BOWIE
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP A truck sponsored by PETA drives down Jefferson Street in Lafayette on Friday. PETA, a sometimes-controversial
SeventobeinductedintoLa. PoliticalHallofFame
List includes Marion Edwards, Marsha Shuler, DonBurkett
BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
Marion Edwards wasa self-described“nerd” in high schoolinMonroe, expecting to become ascientist, but insteadhegraduated from Loyola Law School and served as aprosecutor, judge and council member for over 50 years in Jefferson Parish.
The journalism bug bit Marsha Shuler in high school, and she went on to cover Louisiana politicsfor 45 years.
Don Burkett dreamed of becoming an American diplomat,but followinga conversation with aformer governor,hewent to LSU law school andhas become thelongest-serving district attorney in the state’shistory in Sabine Parish. Edwards, Shuler and Burkett will be inducted into the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame on Saturday,joined by four others:
n Jim Harris, alongtime lobbyist forbusiness interests who servedasa press aide to then-Gov.EdwinEdwards. He died in 2023.
n Charles Weems, an attorney in Alexandria who served nearly 20 years on the LSU Board of Supervisors and was instrumental in establishingLSU’s fouryear university in Alexandria.
n Max Kelley,who served as Winnfield’smayor in the 1980s. He died in 1994.
n Carolyn Phillips, the former director of the Political Hall of Fame.
The hall of fame, based
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in Winnfield, home to Huey andEarl Long,now numbers 250 with the latest inductees, said RandyHaynie, aBaton Rougelobbyist who chairs the board. The latest groupwas chosen by apanel that includes John Georges, owner of TheTimes-Picayune |The Advocate.
This year’sceremony will takeplace in Winnfield, northofAlexandria
It was at NortheastLouisiana University in Monroe (now the University of Louisiana at Monroe) where Edwards decided to forgo studying chemistry andphysics.
“I didn’tenjoy thelabs,” Edwards said in arecent interview
Looking for adifferent path, he left Northeast for Tulane and thendecided to enroll at Loyola Law School.
“I read alot about lawyers and the law,and that intrigued me,” Edwards recalled. “I guess Iwas just sort of pulled in that direction.”
He met anotherlaw student on hisfirst day at Loyola, and that would change hislife. The other student was Harry Lee, who, as they neared graduation, asked Edwards to remaininNew Orleans and becomehis law partner
By then, the two had establisheda deep bond. Edwards had convinced Lee, plaguedbybad grades,not to drop out of lawschool and had tutored Lee before his exams to makehim abetter student.
In 1979,Lee waselected sheriff in Jefferson Parish and becameadominant physical and political presence.
By then, Edwards was workingfor another powerful Jefferson Parish politician,DistrictAttorney John Mamoulides. Edwards became the top assistant and was positioned to run to replace Mamoulideswhen the districtattorney retired.
But Edwards decided in 1996 to runtobea trial judge in Jefferson Parish because he wanted toinstitute adrug courtand show reluctant judges that specialized courts that offer treatmenttodefendants are abetteralternative than simply locking them up.
Edwards kept up his drug court work after moving up to be an appeals court judge in Jefferson Parish in 1998. Defendants who have gone through drug courts,he said, arelesslikely to commit crimes and return to prison.
Edwards finishedhis career by winning election to the Jefferson Parish Council in 2019 and winning reelection fouryears later
Buthestepped down from his post in 2024, tired of the acrimony thatdeveloped between two warring colleagues “It’shardfor me to work like that,” Edwards said.
Lawrence Chehardy, who served as assessor of Jefferson Parish while Edwardsheldhis powerfulpositions, said Edwards
succeeded because he was open-minded and willing to exchange opinions with others.
“He’salwaysbeen eventempered, smart and agentleman,” Chehardy said.
Shuler grew up in Shreveport andspent the first decade of her career as areporter for the Shreveport Times, covering city hall, local politicsand the Legislature when it was in session.
She liked thework in Baton Rouge so much that in 1980, she moved to theCapitol Bureau of the Morning Advocate and its afternoon newspaper,the StateTimes.
Before leavingthe paper in 2015, Shulercovered sevengovernors and hundredsofstate legislators and wrote tens of thousands of articles chroniclingthe dailyeventsinLouisiana’s capital.
“I can string together a long list of adjectives to describe ‘Marsha theJournalist’— smart, accurate, fair, well-informed,wellprepared, trusted, courteous, assertive, dogged, etc, etc.,” said Linda Lightfoot, aformerexecutiveeditorof The Advocate whoworked with Shuler for more than 20 years.
Shuler focusedonwhatthe politicians saidand did, not wanting to delve into their personalities or why they did things.
“I liked to put out the facts, proand con, and let my readersmake adecision on how they feel about it,” Shuler said.
After leaving The Advocate, Shuler spent eight years as asenior adviser to then-Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne while John Bel Edwards was governor. Sheediteddocuments, did research and wrote policy papers.
Shuler has kept her hand in events at the Capitol by continuing to work with journalists who put together the annual Gridiron Show They devise skitsthatspoof the state’spoliticians.
Burkettplanned to work as afingerprint clerk in Washingtonand attend American University’slaw school at night when in 1974, he called on former Gov.John McKeithen to ask for his advice.
“Go to LSU, son,” McKeithen told him.
Burkett graduated from LSU’slaw school,became an attorney in Many and seven years later,in1984, challenged the incumbent district attorney.Burkett won and hasn’tfaced an opponent since then. His 41 years in office are morethan any other district attorney in history,hesaid.
“A hands-on prosecutor, Don personally tried nearly 50 murder cases and helped secure astate-of-the-art crime labinShreveport to enhance regional forensic capabilities,” his bio states.
Burkett reflected on the unexpected path his career took.
“I guess God hasdifferent plansfor us than we have forourselves,” he said. “It’s all worked out.”
Email TylerBridges at tbridges@theadvocate. com.
Reiman recently told The Advocate, “PETA’s ‘Hell on Wheels’truck is an appeal to everyone who eats pigs to remember that the meatindustryiscruel and thatgoing vegan truly celebrates life.”
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been asking when anew one would return to the city.The city’scontinued growth and added businesses have only created more demand.
“It’salways kind of been putinfront of the chamber that we would love to see this come back. We honestly just thought to get it going acouple of months ago,
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W. Congress St., was built in 1952and serves around 1,800 students, including students in the LPSS health and language immersion magnet academies. By this time next year,the old campus will be gone. The new school, athreestory structure that will accommodate around 2,300 students, will open this fall as demolition continues through the rest of the campus. The upgraded facilities will feature more than 52 classrooms and labs, alibrary,new woodworking and welding shops, anew practice gym, a600-seat concert hall and other amenities.
Lafayette High hosted an alumni memory walk Wednesday to give generations of LHS grads one last opportunity to roamthe hallways and classrooms of their school days. Former students clusteredinevery corner of campus, taking pictures, greeting one another and waving down old teachers in what felt like a multigenerational class reunion —with thousands of people holding their memo-
The driver ofthe truck, Chris Winn, saidheis told where to go butnot why.According to Winn, hisnext stop was Honey BakedHam on AmbassadorCaffery Parkway
and we’re about to have our first one,” Willissaid. The chamber has been approached byseveral small businesses thatsaid they wanted aspace to be abletosell their crafts and food products in their city rather than traveling to other area farmers markets.
The only thing missingso far is music,Willis said. She is currently trying to find localmusicians willing to have ajam session or provide music for
In the past 10 days, the truckhas stopped in Meridian andHattiesburg, Mississippi, as well as severalcities in Louisiana.
Email Ja’koriMadison at jakori.madison@ theadvocate.com.
the event.
“This just adds to the quality of life for the residents, but alsoencourages people to visit Youngsville So it’s awin-win foreveryone,” Willis said. They are still accepting vendors forthe markets. If you’re interested, you can apply through the Youngsville ChamberofCommerce’swebsite. Follow the Youngsville Farmers Market on Facebook forthe latest event updates.
Aphotoofaprevious basketball team is looked over during theLafayette High School Alumni MemoryWalk on Wednesday.The memorywalk invited LHS alumni to tour thecurrent campus prior tothe openingofthe newfacility for the 2025-26 school year
ries at LHS in common
“This feels absolutely phenomenal,” said principal Layne Edelman, who left Acadiana High for the toppost at LHS at the start of the2024-2025 academic year.“Igraduated from Lafayette High School, so being abletocomeback here, open up thenew building and talk to so many alumni —we’vegot such arich history of peoplethathave comethrough here andlove this school andwanted to see it one last time.”
Ray Williams,Classof 2013, walked the halls with twoofhis young sons as a steady stream of former
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textmessage for comment.
“It’ssucha bummerto put your life savings and all your ambition in aproject andkind of be held back by aslumlord, essentially,” she said. “In the building alone, aesthetically, I’ve spent $50,000. Itook out every toilet. Icompletely gutted thedrains throughout thebar because theywere full of mold. I’ve spent $900 on the A/C unit alone.”
The owner has since filed an eviction notice against Stanford for nonpayment of rent, according to city court records. Thematter is settogobeforeajudge April 17.
Stanford said Abushanab hasstopped cashing her rent checks. She also plans to countersue for wrongful
classmates stoppedtoshare laughs andhugs. “EverywhereIgo, Igot memories,” he said, pointing out special sites like the auditorium to his children. “I wanted to let them know, you gotta start from somewhere.”
Former band director Scotty Walker,who was inducted into the LouisianaMusic Educators Hall of Fame in 2019, greeted former students andcolleaguesastheyflowed through thespace.
“This was home. We were family here,” saidWalker, who retired from teaching in 2023. Thenew campus will celebrate his impact with the Scotty Walker Per-
eviction and fordamages.
Le Grenadierfirst opened after pitching the idea in One Acadiana’sSmall Business Challenge contest. The namecame from the soldiers who threw hand grenades during the Napoleonic Wars, and the barfeaturedblacked out windows and required a special passcode to enter She plans to reopen at some point but mayseek out pop-up opportunities in the short term “This has literally drained my mental health,” she said. “But Ilove doing it. Ilove doing the Sinatra nights, and Ilove doing wine dinners. Butjust being financially distressed from this has me to the point where Ijust need abreak. And then I’ll regroup.”
Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate.com.
forming Arts Hall in honor of the 27 yearsWalkerspent building the school’scelebrated music program
“This wasamagical place for the people here, in the time we were here. But it was neat to be part of the process of designing the new building —they took alot of input from (the faculty) on what was important to us. AndI’m so excited aboutthe newfacility.It’s going to be unbelievable, and there will be great memories when the new school is here.”
Email Joannaw Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.
President Donald Trump on Friday said he is signing an executive order to keepTikTok running in theU.S.for another 75 days to give his administrationmore time to broker adeal to bringthe social mediaplatform under American ownership.
The order was announced as White House officials believed they were nearing adeal for theapp’s operationstobespun off into anew company based in theU.S.and owned andoperated by amajority of American investors,withChina’sByteDancemaintaininga minority position, according to aperson familiar with the matter
But Beijing hit the brakes on adeal Thursday after Trump announced wide-rangingtariffs around the globe, including against China. ByteDance representatives called the White House to indicate that China would no longer approve the deal until there could be negotiations about trade and tariffs, saidthe person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive details of the negotiations.
Congress had mandatedthat theplatform be divested from China by Jan. 19 or barred in the U.S. on national security grounds, but Trump moved unilaterally to extend the deadline to this weekend, as he soughtto negotiate an agreement to keep it running. Trump has recently entertained an array of offers from U.S. businesses seeking to buy ashare of the popular social media site.
But on Friday it became uncertain whether atentative deal could be announced after the Chinese government’sreversal of its position complicated TikTok’s ability to send clear signals about the nature of the agreement that hadbeen reached for fear of upsetting its negotiations with Chinese regulators.
The near-deal was constructed over the course of months, with Vice President JD Vance’s team negotiating directly with several potential investors and officials from ByteDance. The plan called for a120-day closing period to finalize the paperwork andfinancing. Thedealalso had the approval of existing investors, new investors, ByteDance and the administration.
Advisers: Think before bailing on stockmarket
The huge swingsrockingWall Street andthe global economy may feel far from normal. But, for investing at least, drops of this size have happened throughout history
Stomaching them is the price investorshave had to pay in order to get the bigger returns thatstockscan offer over other investments in the long term.
Anytime an investor sees they’re losing money, it feels bad.This recent run feels particularly unnerving because of how incredibly calm the market had previously been. TheS&P 500 is coming off a second straight yearwhere it shot up by more than 20%, the first time that’shappened since baggy pants were last in style before the millennium.
Sellingmay offer some feeling of relief. But it alsolocks in losses and prevents the chance of making themoney back over time. Historically,the S&P 500 hascomebackfromevery one of its downturns to eventually make investors whole again. Some recoveries take longer than others, but experts often recommend not putting money into stocks that you can’tafford to lose forseveral years, up to 10.
“Data has shown, historically, that no one can time the market,” said Odysseas Papadimitriou, CEOofWalletHub.“No one can consistently figure out the best time to buy and sell.” Phil Battin, CEO of Ambassador Wealth Management, advises investors to lean toward “resilient sectors such as consumer staples,utilities and health care, which are less reliant on international trade.”
BUSINESS
Powell:Tariffs likely to raiseinflation
Fedchief predicts slower U.S. growth
BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer
ARLINGTON,Va. TheTrump administration’sexpansive newtariffs will likely lead to higher inflationand slower growthfor the U.S. economy,Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell saidFriday Powellsaid that the tariffs,and their likely impactsonthe economyand inflation, are “significantly larger thanexpected.” He also saidthat theimport taxeswill probably leadto“at least atemporary rise in inflation,” but added that “itisalso possible that the effects could be more persistent.” “Ourobligation is to …make certainthat aone-time increase in the pricelevel does not become an ongoing inflationproblem,”
Powell said in remarks delivered to aconference of the Society for Advancing Business Editingand Writing.
Powell’sfocusoninflation suggests that theFed will likely keep its benchmark interest rate unchangedat4.3% in the coming months, rather than cut them anytime soon. Higherborrowing costscan help slowthe economy and cool inflation.Wall Streetinvestors, meanwhile, now expect five interest rate cuts this year,a numberthathas increased since PresidentDonaldTrump announced thetariffs Wednesday Powell alsoemphasized that the full impact of thetariffs on theeconomy aren’t yetclear,and theFed will stay on the sidelines until it has moreclarity about the economy He acknowledged thatmany businesses have saidthey are holding off on newinvestments
until they geta better sense of the tariffs’ impact.
“There’sa lotofwaiting and seeing going on,including by us,” Powellsaidduring aquestion-andanswer session. “And that just seems like the right thing to do in this period of uncertainty.”
Trump, separately,urged Powell to cutrates, citing lower inflation and energy prices on his social media platform, Truth Social.
“This would be aPERFECT time for FedChairman Jerome Powell to cutInterest Rates,” Trump wrote.“CUT INTEREST RATES, JEROME, AND STOP PLAYING POLITICS!”
Economists expect that the tariffswill weaken the economy, possibly threaten hiring, andpush up prices
In that scenario,the Fedcould cut rates to bolster the economy or it could keep rates unchanged —oreven hike them—tocombat
inflation. Powell’scomments suggest the Fed will mostly focus on inflation.
Powell’sremarks come two days after Trump unveiledsweepingtariffs that have upended the global economy, prompted retaliatory movesbyChina,and sent stock prices in the U.S.and overseas plunging.
Powell’sdescription of the impact of tariffs was more negative thanjust last month, when he said that anyinflationresulting from the tariffs would likely be temporary
Weaker growth and higher prices areatricky combination forthe Fed.Typically thecentral bank would reduce its key interest rate to lowerborrowing costs and spur the economyinthe event of slower growth, while it would raise rates —orkeep them elevated —toslowspending andcombat inflation.
Chemical industry seeksruleexemptions
Groups want relief from federalrequirements to reduce emissions
BY MATTHEW DALY Associated Press
WASHINGTON— Industry groups representing hundreds of chemical and petrochemicalmanufacturers are seeking blanket exemptionsfromfederal requirements to reduce emissionsoftoxic chemicals such as mercury,arsenic and benzene.
Therequest by theAmerican ChemistryCouncil and the American Fuel &Petrochemical Manufacturers comes as the Trump administration offers industrial polluters achance for exemptions from rules imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency.
TheEPA has set up an electronic mailbox to allow regulated companies to request a two-year presidential exemption under the Clean AirAct toahostofBiden-erarules
Thechemistry council and the petrochemical group saidina letter Mondayto the EPAthat regulation of thechemical industryissupposed to be based on sound science and “reflect areasonable assessment of the risks and benefitsinvolved.”
“Unfortunately,”the groups wrote,an EPArule on air pollution from stationary sources “underminesthose important objectives and advances improper and significantly costly requirements on an unworkable timeline.”
The Associated Pressobtained acopy of the letteronFriday Costs for the rule’srisk-related requirements alonecould exceed $50 billion, the groups said, “significantly more than the $1.8billion forthe full rule thatEPA estimatedatfinal publication” last year
Environmental groups have denounced theadministration’soffertogrant industry exemptions, calling the new email address a “polluters’ portal” thatcould allow hundreds of companies to evade laws meant to protect the environment andpublic health.Exemptionswould be allowedfor nine EPArules issued under former President Joe Biden, including limits on mercury,ethylene oxide and other hazardousair pollutants
HaynesvilleShale
BY LIZ SWAINE Staff writer
It has been arough three months in the Haynesville Shale, said Shreveport mineralconsultantSkip Peel,who pointstothe fact that this has been the slowest first quarter there in 17 years.
Onerecent bump was the $1.2 billionpurchase by the Miamibased hedge fund Citadel of Paloma NaturalGas’relatively small position in the Shale.
East Daley Analytics,anoiland-gas-centric site thattracks mergers andacquisitions,says this deal shows there is renewed confidenceinHaynesville’spotential.
“This strategic acquisition highlights Haynesville’svalue as aleading source for U.S. LNG (liquefiednatural gas)exports,” it says The Haynesville Shale is anatural gas-rich area thatextends
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByMARK
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldinarrives before President Donald Trumpspeaks during an event to announcenew tariffs in the RoseGarden at the White House on WednesdayinWashington. Industrygroups representing hundredsofchemicaland petrochemical manufacturers are seeking blanket exemptions fromfederal requirements to reduce emissions of toxic chemicalssuchasmercury, arsenicand benzene.
Mercury exposure can cause brain damage, especially in children. Fetusesare vulnerable to birth defects via exposure in a mother’swomb.
TheEnvironmental Defense Fundaccused the chemical andpetrochemical companies —which include giantssuch as ExxonMobil, Marathon Petroleum, Chevron, Dow and DuPont —of“hiding behind their associations to get apresidential exemption from pollution safeguards that keep our kids healthy and safe.”
New EPAAdministrator Lee Zeldin “has opened aback door for hundreds of com-
through north Louisiana and east Texasand beyond.
Robert Mills, themanager of two local companies that work in oil and gas exploration and production in Ark-La-Tex and Mississippi, is notseeing great confidence.
He says thesmaller independent producersheknows are watching howlow theprice will go “I mean,everybody’s worried about bottom, not thetop,” Mills said. “Weall know thatwe’dlike to see$5(per million British thermal units), but we knowthat we’ve seen closer to $3 and that’s what kept the rig count down. And so until we see amorestabilized $4-plus, closer to $5, Ithink again, almost everybody Iknow hascompletely withdrawnfrom drilling wells. From aworking interest standpoint, it is just such a big game only the big guys can do it. Nobody else, to my knowledge,
panies to avoid complying with reasonable limitsonthe mosttoxic formsofair pollution, andthey’re rushing through it with no regard for the communities around them,” said Vickie Patton, the group’sgeneral counsel.
Granting the exemption would be “a huge blow to American families who now must worry about their loved ones breathing dirtier air,theirkidsmissing more school days because of asthma attacks and morecancer in theirfamilies,” Patton said.“Thereisno basis in U.S. clean air laws—and in decency —for this absolute free pass to pollute.”
that hasparticipated in these wells has anything but regrets for participating because these large companies that operate the wells are just absolutely skinning the royalty owners and the nonoperators, just skinning them.”
Peel said he believesasthe ownership of shale mineral rights continues to consolidate, prices should go higher
“Natural gasshouldcontinue to increase in price because consolidationhas reduced thenumberof operatingcompanies,and those companies areholding back production to increase the price.”
It is thechicken or the egg.
Aethon, the shale’slargest producer,has said it will notramp up drilling until pricesrise.Itis looking for $5 MMBtu as opposed to the$4.50projected into 2026 and the lower $3.75 projections into 2027-28.
Other companies, suchasExpand Energy,created from the
merger of Chesapeakeand SouthwestEnergy, is looking to increase theirproduction into 2026.
East Daley believes that eventual demand is going to outstrip production andthat prices could shoot to $8 MMBTU, which could be ashort-lived bump. Mills says whenprices go up, activity will, too, and then extra supply will push prices down.
“So, until we see that LNG bump and it pushes that number up into the $5 range, and of course, yes, people will start drilling,” Mills said. “And of course,yes,they’ll push it right back down to four It’sjust the way the market always hasbeen and always will be
You’ve got to learn your lessons that there’snothing easy about this energy business, and it’sgotten moreexpensiveand moredifficult over time.”
Email Liz Swaine at liz.swaine@ theadvocate.com.
SCHIEFELBEIN
OPINION
Athird term forTrump?
Is the idea of athird term forPresident Donald Trump just afoolishploy to getattention—orisita real possibility?
Historically,presidents from GeorgeWashington to FranklinRoosevelt were eligible torun for unlimited terms. Washingtonrefused to runa third time,setting aprecedent to prevent amonarchialpresidency.FDR wasthe only presidentelected athird (andfourth) time.
Chances for athird Trumpterm start and end with theU.S. Constitution and, specifically,the 22ndAmendment,which was adopted in 1951, six years after Roosevelt died.Itsays: “No person shall be elected to the office of thePresident more than twice…” This limitation didn’t apply to thesitting president, Harry Truman, but did apply to all future presidents.
While the 22nd Amendmentmakes it clear that Trump cannot run for presidentagain, hisadvocates may continue searching for aloophole —something theycan bring to the U.S. Supreme Court, the ultimate arbiter, with sixofits nine justices appointedbyRepublican presidents. They willpoint outthatwhile the 22nd Amendment prevents getting elected president more than twice, it doesn’t technically preventserving as president for more than twoterms.
Here’swhat they could try:Nominate Trumpfor vice president in 2028 and JD Vance(or anothersteadfast Trump loyalist) for president. After this ticket is elected and takes office, Vancewould resignthe presidency, Trumpwould assume theoffice andappoint Vanceto be vice president —backtowhere it is now.
This would require alot of fancy foot work to pull off. First, the Republican Partywould havetoagree to the plan and nominate the Vance-Trump ticket, with all its attendant risks. Second, amajority of theElectoral College would have to elect theticket. Third, the newly electedpresident would have to keep the deal —take office, resign and turn over the presidencytoTrump There is another,perhapsfatal, obstacle to this plan: The 12th Amendment to theConstitution says that “no personconstitutionallyineligible to theoffice of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-Presidentofthe UnitedStates.”
If Trump is ineligibletobeelected president in 2028, wouldn’thealso be ineligible to be vice-president? His advocates would likely say that while their manmay notbeeligibletobeelected president again, thereis nothing that makes him ineligible to serveaspresident again and, therefore, he would not beineligible to be vicepresident based on lackof presidentialqualifications. Most legal scholarswould counterthatthe intent of the Constitution, as amended, is to prohibit sucha circumvention.
Head spinning yet?
Another way for Trump tostayinpower would be the Vladimir Putin method. In 2008,whenhecould not runfor athird consecutive term as Russia’spresident, Putin became prime minister and handedoff thepresidential title to DmitryMedvedev.Afterfour yearsunderthis arrangement, Putin wonthe next election and took backthe presidency,title andall. This method is dependentuponVance, or another agreeable Republican, winning thepresidentialelection in 2028. The new GOP president would thenappoint the 82-year-oldTrump to ahigh position, maybe chief of staff, aperch from which hecould still run the country (even though he’d be prohibited, unlike Putin, from running for president again)
That’sacrass way to stay in power,although afew politicianshavetried it.One example wasGeorge Wallace in 1966. Term-limitedasAlabama’s governor,he convincedhis wife,Lurleen, to runinstead. Lurleen won and George kept power —until, tragically,his wife died 16 months after taking office The voters, of course,will have somethingtosay about all this. By the next election,theymay nothave much appetite for apolitical masqueradeofany kind. Also, Republicans could conclude thatevenjust talk of athird term is adamagingdistraction to theMAGA agenda duringthe current term. Theymay alsosee it as demeaning to Vance and other GOP prospectsfor 2028. Attempting to end-run theConstitutionisa bad idea. Respecting thelimits of presidential poweristhe best approach; let’scallitthe George Washingtonmethod Ron Faucheux is anonpartisanpoliticalanalyst, pollster and writer basedinLouisiana. He publishes LunchtimePolitics.com, anationwide newsletteron polls and public opinion.
Louisiana’spowerful congressional delegation has an opportunity to deliver an early win for seniors and against cancer.Thanks to their leadership, atransformational piece of legislation that could revolutionize our country’sapproach to cancer care is inches from the finish line. Now is the time to finish thejob. The Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act concluded last Congress with nearly 400 cosponsors and more than 500 advocacy organizations across the country supporting it.Speaker Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and SenateHealth Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy were among thebill’sstrongest supporters and worked hard to empower cancer detection champions in their caucuses and forge bipartisan agreements to advance the legislation
This bill would remove regulatory hurdles that stand in the way of seniors’ access to life-changing tools against cancer and enable Medicare coverage of multi-cancer early de-
tection tests once they have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Louisiana faces particularly high cancer risks, with cancer rates 40% higher than the national average, according to the federal statistics. Available evidence showsthat screening enables cancers to be detected at an earlier stage, before they have thechance to grow, spread and become moredeadly This approach also saves money
The U.S. spends more than $210 billion on cancer treatments each year and one study found that adoption of these MCED tests could shave $26 billion off that figure.
At theCancer Advocacy Group of Louisiana, we have been adriving force in advancing patient-centered policies. Passing this legislation would provide hope and innovative tools to millionsofAmericans in the fight against cancer.Now is the momenttoact.
MARC MATRANA, M.D trustee, Cancer Advocacy Group of Louisiana and co-chair of CAGLA’s Scientific AdvisoryBoard
National debt is aproblem that Trumpisatleast trying to address
Iread Cal Thomas’ recent column about our national debt and am happy that someone is bringing this to theforefront.
Iamseriously concerned about our national debt and have argued with manyabout what is currently going on. Yes, like many, Iquestion Donald Trump’s“thundering herd” approach to attempting to bring our debt down, but honestly,I’ve watched past administrations try to surgically correct wasteful spending to no positive effect
Many years ago, Iwas part of bankers roundtable in Washington where we were given copies of spending documentsfromseveral federal agencies and were unanimously in agreement that almost all of the thousands of programs we analyzed should be eliminated or
reduced because they wereeither blatantly wastefuland/or didn’t come close to solving the problem they were designed to solve. This group of unbiased bankers (including Democrats and Republicans) madespecific recommendations to theOffice of Management and Budget,and to my knowledge, none of those recommendations wereever enacted.
We are putting at peril our children and grandchildren’sfuture. Debt at this level is an anchor that drags progress —progress that is thelifeblood of tomorrow forthose hopeful generations. Iamclear that without some alteration, those that follow us won’thave the hopeful future we have enjoyed CHARLESHARGON Baton Rouge
Kudos to Education Superintendent Cade Brumley.The recent articlesreporting howour great state is departing from current nationaleducationpractices and returning to “building block” approaches in both reading and math disciplines is heartwarming to read anddemonstrates true leadership on his part.
As the Feb. 24 article states, Louisiana is using the “science of reading” emphasizing phonics andteaching students to “decipherwords letterbyletter and sound by sound.” The results: “Louisiana ledthe country in fourth-grade reading gains” and “outpacedotherstates in postpandemic reading improvement.” The changeswereintroduced only four yearsago St. CharlesParish leaders call the approach “a game changer,” andLouisiana moved from50th to 16thlastyear in fourth grade reading.
In math, “the state nowaims to do something similar,”according to Brumleycalling it “back-tobasics” in aMarch 9article. The newapproach is to ensure math foundations arefirm as students move into middle school for “abstract”questions. Foundation is the key, andstudents are lost without it.
Brumleyand his team aredemonstrating policychangesatthe state levelcan be well worth it if groundedinsolid data. And thanks to the newspaper for going deeper into the story beyond headlines.
JOHN S. WHITE Harahan
Ron Faucheux
SPORTS
Clarkwants ‘better’ LSUgyh
BY SCOTT RABALAIS
Staff writer
The goal of this season for the LSU gymnastics squad, focusing onthe fiveminutes in front of the gymnasts’faces, has served the Tigers well.
LSU won ashare of the Southeastern Conference regular-season title, won the SEC championship meet and earned its first-ever No. 1overall seedinthe NCAA championships. But how the 2025 Tigers will be remembered comes down not to any one five-minute vignette but the full saga of what hap-
ä NCAA Regional Final 4P.M. SATURDAy,ESPN+
pens in atwo-hourmeet Saturday afternoon. It’seither finish in the top two in the NCAA regional finalatPenn Statetoadvancetothe national semifinals in two weeks or pack up theleotards and chalk for the season. First vault is setfor 4p.m. at Rec Hall in University Park,Pennsylvania. Themeet can be seen on astreamingbasis only on ESPN+ LSU was good, very good, in Thursday’s regional semifinal. The Tigers performed solid routine after solid routine to post a
198.100 —LSU’sthird-best score e NCAA regional —toeasily outpoin place Arkansas (197.550), theNo. 16 seed, which also advanced. LSU coach Jay Clarkfigures competition Saturday,his Tigers will be better than solid. He wants them what they did Thursday to an ev level.
“We’ve gottobebetter if we th going to get out of here,” Clark said. time youadvance, youhavetoass have to be better.”
If Saints decide to go fora quarterbackinthe NFLdraft,who couldbeavailable at No.9spot?
QUARTERBACK SHOPPING?
After restructuring quarterback Derek Carr’scontract, all but ensuringhe’d be their Week 1starter for the 2025 season,the New Orleans Saintsappear tobesittingout this year’s quarterback class. Unless,ofcourse, they aren’t.
Outside of Kellen Moore’snon-committalintroductory news conference, theSaints have pretty consistently stood behind Carr as their best chance at winning right now.But Carr’sfirst twoseasons with New Orleans both have been followed with questions about whether New Orleans would continue to stick with him, which at bare minimum has raised fairquestions about the organization’sfuture at themost important position. Carr hastwo more seasonsleftonhis contract, and he is settocountawhopping $69.2 million against the team’s 2026 salary cap thanks to previous restructures. Behind him, the Saints have 2024 fifth-rounder Spencer Rattlerand 2023 fourth-rounder Jake Haener as developmental players.
Given their investment in the position, it seems unlikelythe Saints —a team with agood many holestoplug and adesire to compete sooner rather than later —will use one oftheir premium draft assets on aquarterback. And with two recent draft picks with playing experience already on the roster,another developmental pickdoesn’t seem to make much sense, either.
But let’swade through the scenario where they buck conventional wisdom andattempt to secure their future anyway
The‘sell thefarm’ option
MIAMI QB CAMWARD: Barring something extraordinary happening, there’seffectively zero chance Ward is there when the Saints pick at No. 9. While there is no such thing as aconsensus in scouting players, Ward is widely viewed as thebest quarterback in this class, and ateamwill almost certainly snap him up withone of the top three picks potentially even theTennesseeTitans, whoholdthe No. 1overall selection. So, if the Saintsreally wanted Ward,
they would have to makeamove to get him. Andtoensurethey got him, they would have to tradeuptoNo. 1, ahead of quarterback-needy teams like theCleveland Brownsand New York Giants. The last timeateam traded from No. 9toNo. 1was two yearsago, when the Carolina Pantherssent agiant package to the Chicago Bears for the top choice —its best offensive player (receiver D.J. Moore), its 2023 first-and secondround picks, its2024 first-round pick (which turnedout to be No. 1overall) and its2025 second-round pick —to select BryceYoung. The trade has
Portal additions spring into action for UL football
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
The spring football season has many levels of importance to UL coach Michael Desormeaux. In recent years, however,a newgoal has emerged. It now also serves as the first opportunity to evaluate the success of the transfer-portal haul.
“The first thing you always hope foristhe guys youaddedtoyour team …you hope that they arewhat you thought they were,” Desormeaux said. “I think there’sprobably as manymisses in the portal than there are ones that hit.
“Forus, we’re pleased with the portal additions that we’ve had. Last year,Ifelt like we won in the portal and cameout ahead. This year, it remains to be seen,but Ithink it’spossible.”
Perhaps the biggest hole was at tight end with twodepartures, including elite
Mulkey,
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
Before she even leftSpokane Arena, the site of herLSU women’sbasketballteam’s Elite Eight loss to UCLA, coach Kim Mulkey turned her focus to next season.
“It’stime to getinthe portal,” she said Sunday Mulkeywasn’tkidding. On Tuesday, she told ESPN 104.5FMthatshe hadbegun callingplayers whohad entered the transfer portal on herteam’sSundayevening flight from Spokane, Washington,toBaton Rouge. These days, college coaches can’tafford to wastemuch time.The portal already had been open for six days by the time the Tigers’ season ended. Rosters were churning, and programsalready were recruiting. Mulkey thinks the current landscapeis“broken,”but shehas no choice but to navigate
KEMP
Desormeaux
spring practice.
Aleah Finnegan STAFFPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
Tyler Shough
Shedeur Sanders
Jaxson Dart
garner AP player, coach honors
The awards handed out by The Associated Press for national player of the year and coach of the year have a distinctive theme. Duke star Cooper Flagg is The Associated Press national player of the year Flagg is just the fourth freshman to win the award. He joins Duke’s Zion Williamson, Kentucky’s Anthony Davis and Texas star Kevin Durant. Flagg received 41 of 61 votes.
The national coach of the year ended in a tie for the first time in the award’s 58-year history Bruce Pearl of Auburn and Rick Pitino of St. John’s are the AP coaches of the year with each receiving 20 votes. St. John’s matched a school record with 34 wins. Pearl led Auburn to a school-record 32 wins and the program’s second Final Four
Ex-Tiger Carter scores 21 points in all-star game
Tigers take turns stirring up vibes
Several players have followed Hellmers in pregame-hype huddle
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
NORMAN, Okla. — His teammates called him “Bill.”
Will Hellmers was beloved by his peers during his four years at LSU. The veteran right-hander worked in a variety of roles — even spending a short stint at third base as a freshman
But if there was one role Hellmers consistently held during his time at LSU it was serving as the team’s designated hype man before games.
“We were talking about it the other day, and it’s like, Will memorized 150 speeches over the last two years,” redshirt sophomore Mic Paul said. “It’s like he had a different one every day.”
With Hellmers no longer around, a handful of players have tried to fill his old role Junior Jared Jones, sophomore Jake Brown and sophomore right-hander Deven Sheerin are among the players who have taken on the pregame responsibility It’s not something every Tiger is cut out for Not for me,” junior Daniel Dickinson said. “I’m too quiet, locked in before the game.”
The first player to take a crack at it was Sheerin. The Mount St. Mary’s transfer will likely miss the entire year while recovering from a torn ACL, but his energy and enthusiasm made him a perfect candidate for the role on opening day At the start of the season, he allegedly smashed a can of Monster energy drink on his head “I don’t know what’s going on there,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said “But hey man, I told the team today, there’s no substitute for enthusiasm, so I guess that’s showing enthusiasm.” Brown and Jones have taken more reps at the role recently. Jones said he’ll memorize movie quotes or an old Nick Saban speech.
“We’ll see what else I can memorize and come up with,” Jones said.
Before one of LSU’s wins over North Dakota State, Jones recited a quote from the 2010 Will Ferrell comedy film “The Other Guys.” It was the scene where Mark Wahlberg’s character confronts Ferrell by saying that, “If I were a lion and you were a tuna, I would swim out into the middle of the ocean and eat you.”
“I changed it to Tigers, obviously,” Jones said, “and Bison because it was North Dakota State.” Whatever movies, speeches or
banter Jones and his teammates have come up with has mostly worked. Replicating Hellmers was always going to be a tall order, but LSU entered this weekend with a 27-3 record and a 7-2 record in Southeastern Conference play The good vibes have translated onto the diamond. “I feel really relaxed out there,” Brown said. “I’m having a good time. I love all the guys that I get to play with every day.”
Email Koki Riley at Koki. Riley@theadvocate.com.
Auburn, Florida are last SEC teams still standing
BY STEPHEN HAWKINS AP sportswriter
SAN ANTONIO Auburn and Florida are the last two standing of a record 14 Southeastern Conference teams that made the NCAA Tournament. Only one of them will get to play for the national championship. In a Final Four filled with No. 1 seeds, the SEC regular-season champion Tigers (32-5) play the conference tournament-winning Gators in the first national semifinal game Saturday in the Alamodome. The matchup pits AllAmericans Johni Broome and Walter Clayton against each other yet again.
“The success that the league has had in the tournament has been pretty amazing,” Gators coach Todd Golden said. “The league obviously (got) a lot of respect, a lot of notoriety after the nonconference Once you get to elite play, people wonder how real it is. I believe the results we have had so far in the NCAA Tournament speak to that.” Florida (34-4), which has won 10 in a row since the start of March, twice during the regular season beat No. 1-ranked SEC teams. The Gators first won by 30 points at Tennessee, then a month later had a 90-81 win at Auburn on Feb 8 that solidified how they felt about their team.
“It just gave us confidence be-
cause we always believed that we (were) the No. 1 team after we beat them,” said Alijah Martin, the only Gators player with Final Four experience (with FAU two years ago.)
“They just out-toughed us that game, they did everything that we didn’t do,” Auburn freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford said.
After the tournament’s first Final Four matchup of SEC teams, the winner will play Duke or Houston with the opportunity to clinch their league’s first national title in men’s basketball since Kentucky in 2012. The last before that were Florida’s back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007.
Some turbulence along the way Auburn, the No. 1 overall NCAA seed, began this season with an inflight disturbance caused by players on the way to a win at Houston. The Tigers were 21-1 before losing to the Gators — the lone setback before that was at Duke in the eighth game. They lost three of their last four games before the NCAA tourney
“Just continue this streak that we’re on these past four games. We’ve been the most physical team of every team we’ve played against,” starting center Dylan Cardwell said, adding that the
Tigers knew they could become a big bust or maybe the greatest team in school history “We chose the latter.”
Facing Broome again
Alex Condon, Florida’s 6-foot-11 post from Australia, had no problem being physical with Broome when the teams first played. He plans to be again.
“He’s going to be wanting to come out and prove that he’s a better player than me,” Condon said. “So I think I did a good job last time just coming out and initiating the physicality with him. And yeah, I know I’m going to be ready to go.” Condon had 17 points and 10 rebounds in that win over the Tigers. Broome had 18 points on 8-of-19 shooting with 11 rebounds. Broome had 25 points and 14 rebounds in the South Regional final win over Michigan State on Sunday but briefly left in the second half after his right elbow bent awkwardly during a hard fall. He grabbed several rebounds and with one arm after returning, but also swooshed a 3-pointer Even with some kind of brace on his right elbow covered by a sleeve, the Tigers leading scorer said he had no pain and no limitations for the Final Four
“I felt great in practice yesterday, I feel great today and I’ll be even better tomorrow,” Broome said Friday
Former LSU men’s basketball player Cam Carter showed his skills Friday afternoon with a 21-point performance in the annual NABC All-Star Game at the Alamodome in San Antonio, site of Saturday’s NCAA Final Four
This came one evening after Carter finished third in the 3-point shooting contest, also in San Antonio.
Carter’s West team lost 100-91, but the Donaldsonville native was the co-high scorer in the game with his 21 points.
Carter made 8 of 14 field goals, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range and 2 of 3 from the freethrow line.
Carter also had four rebounds and three assists while playing a game-high 24 minutes.
David Joplin, who played for Marquette, was the leading scorer for the East team with 21 points.
Morant’s aiming-a-gun gesture earns him fine
MIAMI — Ja Morant showed off an imaginary gun. The NBA hit back with a real fine. A day after Morant again used his aiminga-gun gesture to celebrate making a 3-pointer, the Grizzlies’ star was fined $75,000 by the league Friday It’s the second time this week that Morant who was suspended twice in 2023 for incidents with actual weapons — heard from the league about mimicking the act of using a gun during a game. The first interaction with the league office resulted in a warning, after Morant and Golden State’s Buddy Hield made the gesture at one another during a game on Tuesday
WNBA star Delle Donne announces her retirement Seven-time WNBA All-Star Elena Delle Donne is retiring after 11 seasons. Delle Donne is a two-time league MVP and was a key part of Washington’s 2019 championship. The 35-year-old Delle Donne made the announcement on social media and said “my body seemed to make this decision before my mind accepted it.” She adds “I now truly know this is the right thing for me at the right time.”
The second overall pick in 2013 by Chicago, Delle Donne spent 11 years as one of the faces of the WNBA. She played the past six seasons in Washington and stepped away from basketball in February 2024. The Mystics said that she would be a special adviser to the group that owns the Mystics and Wizards.
Former Falcons star WR Jones says he is retiring ATLANTA — Julio Jones, a seventime Pro Bowl selection and the leading receiver in Atlanta Falcons history, has announced his retirement.
The 36-year-old Jones did not play in 2024 after spending 2023 with the Philadelphia Eagles. Jones played for Atlanta from 2011-2021, setting franchise records with 848 catches for 12,896 yards. He had 60 touchdown catches with the Falcons and was a twotime first-team
STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
LSU first baseman Jared Jones celebrates after hitting a grand slam against UL on March 25 at Alex Box Stadium.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BRyNN ANDERSON Auburn forward Johni Broome, left, and guard Miles Kelly talk during a Final Four practice on Friday in San Antonio.
LSU men lose starter, but pick up 4th transfer
BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer
The comings and goings keep on rolling for the LSU men’s basketball team.
Late Thursday night, Portland junior Max Mackinnon became the fourth commitment for LSU out of the transfer portal, as confirmed by the player’s social-media account.
Then on Friday, LSU starting center Daimion Collins announced on Instagram that he has decided to enter the transfer portal.
“After careful consideration,” the redshirt junior said in his statement, “I have decided to enter the transfer portal. This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the best step for my future and continued development. Thank you Tiger Nation, for your unwavering support. I will always carry these experiences and lessons with me as I embark on this new chapter.” Collins also thanked his teammates, coach Matt McMahon and the staff.
The 6-foot-9, 200-pound Collins averaged 8.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 20.4 minutes per game. Collins, a former five-star recruit who started his career at Kentucky, shot 58% from the field and 20.4% on 3-pointers.
He started 22 games in place of Jalen Reed, who suffered a seasonending ACL injury on Dec. 3.
Collins missed almost all of his true junior year during the 202324 season when he dislocated his right shoulder He suffered the same injury a few times this season but only missed two games.
He played 152 more minutes this season than he did in his first three college seasons combined.
One of his best games was a career-high 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting, four blocks and four rebounds in an 82-79 win over Oklahoma on Feb. 15.
Collins is the sixth player this offseason to enter the transfer portal. He joins freshman Vyctorius Miller, redshirt freshman Corey Chest, sophomore Mike Williams,
OFFSEASON
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it if she wants to field a team that can return to the women’s Final Four next season.
Two LSU contributors are out of eligibility: Aneesah Morrow and Shayeann Day-Wilson. Two others are in the transfer portal: Sa’Myah Smith and Last-Tear Poa.
Flau’jae Johnson, perhaps the most important piece of all, reportedly has passed on the WNBA draft, but as of Friday, she has neither officially announced that decision nor formally stated she’s returning to the Tigers for her senior year The portal is open for her, too, and it will be until April 23.
“This one leaves, this one goes, this one comes,” Mulkey said. “So next year, we’ll start this thing up again and see what kind of team you have and go to work.”
Here’s a guide to LSU’s offseason, centered around the moves it can make in the transfer portal.
Transfer portal
Last offseason, LSU searched the portal for a lead ballhandler and backcourt depth.
This year, its most urgent needs lie in the front court.
Morrow and Smith started 28 games together this season, combining to play nearly threefourths of the total minutes Mulkey gave to all five of her frontcourt players.
LSU is set to add Grace Knox, a 6-foot-2 high school forward ranked as the sixth-best recruit in her class, according to ESPN
But three of its five forwards and centers from the 2024-2025 team, including senior Amani Bartlett, are now out the door, which leaves Jersey Wolfenbarger and Aalyah Del Rosario as the only frontcourt incumbents.
To shore up their post spots, the Tigers can pursue some highprofile transfers.
Serah Williams, a 6-4 forward from Wisconsin, is a three-year starter, a mainstay on the All-Big Ten defensive team and one of the top portal entries of 2025. This season, she averaged 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game while shooting 49% from the field. Her blocks average led the conference in both her freshman (1.9) and sophomore years (2.8). Like Morrow, former Ohio State forward Cotie McMahon, standing at 6 feet, is a tad undersized for the position she’d play at LSU. But the former Big Ten Freshman of the Year has earned allconference first-team recognition in two consecutive years, seasons in which she’s led the Buckeyes to a pair of top-four NCAA Tournament seeds. McMahon averaged 16.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game this season while also con-
junior Noah Boyde and junior Tyrell Ward. Mackinnon, a 6-6, 200-pound guard, made the All-West Coast Conference second team after averaging 14.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists. His efficiency is noteworthy as he shot 46.7% from the field, 40.7% from 3 and 88.7% from the free-throw line.
The Brisbane, Australia, native started his career at Elon where he played two seasons. As a freshman he was the Coastal Athletic Association Rookie of the Year after averaging 11.3 points on 46.7% field-goal shooting.
Mackinnon’s best game this was a 43-point explosion in a 92-82 win over conference foe San Diego. He went 9 of 17 from the field, 7 of 9 from beyond the arc, and had seven rebounds and four assists.
Mackinnon joins UNLV point guard Dedan Thomas, Northeastern guard Rashad King and Mississippi State center Michael Nwoko as offseason additions from the portal for LSU.
receiver Terrance Carter The two additions are Trey Miller from Wayne State and Brock Chappell from Furman.
“Trey Miller, a guy we added in the offseason as well as Brock Chappell, those guys have been phenomenal,” Desormeaux said. “They fit, they’re diligent, they work really hard.”
The staff also moved Emiliano Soldevilla from linebacker to tight end to bolster the numbers in that room.
Desormeaux said he’s also seen good things from defensive lineman Jaelen Crider and cornerback Trae Tomlinson through the first five spring practices.
kind of hoping he’d be coming into it,” Desormeaux said.
Howard knows how much ground he’s got to make up as a newcomer and potential starter at such a critical position.
“I’ve got to compete every day,” Howard said. “I’ve got to go make plays. I’ve got to do everything I’m supposed to do on the field. I’ve got to do the little things. I’ve got to win over the team, and I’ve got to continue to grow
“I’ve got to continue to keep learning, and I’ve got to continue to make mistakes and continue to grow from those things and try to be the best I can at the end of the spring.”
Spring game?
verting 37% of the 3.1 shots she took from beyond the arc each night.
LSU also could take another shot at rising sophomore Kate Koval, a 6-5 center who’s now in the portal. She was the nation’s No. 5 recruit in the 2024 class, according to ESPN, and she considered the Tigers before she committed to Notre Dame. Freshman class
LSU’s No. 1 freshman class is a group of four of the seven most highly rated recruits Mulkey and her staff have signed since she left Baylor in 2021, according to ESPN rankings.
Knox, 5-10 guard Divine Bourrage, 6-foot guard ZaKiyah Johnson and 5-9 guard Bella Hines can all, in some capacity, contribute to next season’s team.
But how heavily can LSU rely on them?
On Tuesday, Knox and Johnson played in the McDonald’s AllAmerica Game. Knox converted two of her eight field-goal attempts and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Johnson notched 11 points, four rebounds and two steals on 5-of-14 shooting from the field.
The last time the Tigers enrolled four recruits who comprised the nation’s top freshman class, they also signed the country’s top two transfers: Hailey Van Lith and Morrow Two of the four prospects (Angelica Velez and Janae Kent) transferred to different schools after their freshman seasons.
Developing and retaining this incoming class will be key for an LSU team that needs depth.
The group’s ability to contribute next season could determine how close the Tigers ultimately come to beating South Carolina in the SEC and reaching the Final Four again.
Other questions
Two All-American guards are in the portal, but will LSU pursue either of them? And are they interested in joining the Tigers?
Both Ta’Niya Latson — the Florida State guard who led the nation in scoring this season — and Olivia Miles — the Notre Dame star who made a surprise decision to pass on the draft — will have a long list of suitors.
With or without Latson and Miles, will LSU still pursue a transfer point guard like it has in each of the previous two transfer cycles? The two players who combined to start all but one game at the point last season (Poa and Day-Wilson) are moving on.
But LSU can bring back both Mjracle Sheppard, a sophomore defensive ace, and Jada Richard, a sharp-shooting freshman from Lafayette.
And it’s also adding potential ballhandlers in Bourrage and Johnson a pair of top-15 national recruits.
“Jaelen Crider has been a really good get for us, too,” Desormeaux said. “He’s come in here and done a really good job for us.
“And Trae Tomlinson has been a good get.”
The two most high-profile portal additions are quarterback Walker Howard from Ole Miss and wide receiver Shelton Sampson from LSU.
“Shelton Sampson has been phenomenal everything we were
GYM
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Coming out of Thursday’s first semifinal were No 8 Michigan State and No. 9 Kentucky The Spartans, who got a perfect 10 on vault from regional all-around champion Gabrielle Stephen, scored a 197.625 while UK was at 197.525.
To illustrate Clark’s point about being better, both Michigan State and Kentucky surpassed their season NQS (National Qualifying Scores) average The Spartans were at 197.360 the Wildcats at 197.315, for the season.
“Both of them are worthy of going to nationals,” Clark said.
In Thursday’s meet, the Tigers performed inside a remarkably tight scoring band, posting nothing lower than a 9.85 and nothing higher than a 9.95. That was from senior Aleah Finnegan on beam in
SAINTS
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been universally panned in the aftermath, as Young has struggled to establish himself. That type of haul is about the going rate for the top pick. And, even in the event of an unexpected Ward slide out of the top 3 picks, the Saints still almost certainly would have to give up multiple first-rounders to move up. New Orleans would have to be utterly convinced that Ward would develop into a high-level quarterback, especially as the team would lack assets to build around him.
Is Ward that guy? It’s tough to say After stints at Incarnate Word and Washington State, Ward enjoyed a superb 2024 season at Miami, throwing for 39 touchdowns against seven interceptions while finishing fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He’s a creative player and a talented thrower But there does seem to be more risk associated with him than some other recent QB1s.
The wild-card option
COLORADO QB SHEDEUR SANDERS: While he is widely considered the next best quarterback prospect in
While some coaches around the country are changing or eliminating their spring games, that’s not the case for the Cajuns.
“The spring game is important,” Desormeaux said. “I think it’s an important thing. You split teams and get them on the sidelines, and they go out there and they’ve got to go play.”
Over the years, the Cajuns have had to reduce the spring game to a glorified practice setting because of having too many injuries on the offensive line or at quarterback.
With three inexperienced quarterbacks and a load of newcomers elsewhere on the roster, Desormeaux is hoping for a more traditional spring game format this year
“I’m hoping, if we can stay healthy, I want to play it like a whole game,” he said. “I want to play two halves. I want to let them play.”
So far, the team has remained healthy in the early portion of the spring season. Safety Tyree Skipper and offensive tackle Quinton Williams are the only players not available for any work this spring.
New numbers
Another recent trend in college football is a large group of returning players changing their jersey numbers after the roster turnover There will be 13 returning players wearing different numbers on their jersey this fall.
The list of player numbers changing this season are: Robert Williams (0), Jalen Clark (2),
LSU’s final routine of the night, allowing her to tie for the regional individual title in that event. Overall, 20 of the Tigers’ 24 scores were 9.90 or better, with 15 of them right at 9.90. Clark cred-
the draft, Sanders’ draft projections are all over the map. Some are pegging him in the top five, others have him as a late firstrounder Some wonder whether his arm strength translates to the NFL game; others point out his success on vertical throws in college. And this isn’t even getting into the hype that goes with his family lineage as the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. He’s a polarizing player who may or may not be available when the Saints’ turn comes around. If he is there, it will be fascinating to see what the Saints do. At his best, Sanders is a pointguard style of quarterback. He led the NCAA in completion percentage (74%) and finished his two-year run at Colorado with a 71.8% completion percentage. But there are questions about how his skills will translate to the professional game that make him a high-risk, high-reward play
The buzzy options
OLE MISS QB JAXSON DART, LOUISVILLE
QB TYLER SHOUGH: Not every year is the same when it comes to the draft, but the way last year’s unfolded may provide some insight. Quarterbacks went off the board with the top three selections, which was expected, but what came next was not. The Falcons
ited that to the skill his gymnasts exhibited during their routines but a string of small hops on the landings that prevented LSU from earning more scores like Finnegan’s on beam. Finnegan and freshman Kailin Chio tied for first place in the semifinal in the all-around with scores of 39.625, while senior Haleigh Bryant was a close fourth (39.575). Though Clark has said he has been averse to changing the chemistry of the LSU lineups this late in the season, he said he considered giving Chio a rest on floor and putting in sophomore Konnor McClain for the first time in that event this season.
McClain has competed only on bars and beam this season after suffering an Achilles injury in May during a pre-Olympic meet, but Clark said it was a possibility she could perform on floor Saturday and possibly warm up on vault as well.
shocked people when they selected Michael Penix at No. 8, and then two more quarterbacks went in the next four picks — J.J. McCarthy to Minnesota at No. 10, and Bo Nix to Denver at No. 12. Six quarterbacks in the first 12 picks, two of whom — Penix and Nix — were projected by some to go as late as Day 2 of the draft. When it comes to quarterbacks, there are risers almost every year, and this year’s versions may be Dart and Shough, who have both generated buzz recently as potential first-rounders.
Dart was a three-year starter at Ole Miss after transferring from USC. He led the Southeastern Conference in passing last season (4,279) and led the country in passer rating (180.7 on the college scale, 122.7 on the NFL scale). He is not big by NFL standards, but he is sturdily built at 6-foot-2, 223. Like Sanders, there are questions about his arm strength.
There’s a lot to like about Shough, who has a prototypical build at 6-5 and 219 pounds and has the ability to push the ball downfield. But there are a lot of drawbacks, too: He suffered three season-ending injuries in college (two broken collarbones, one broken leg), ultimately playing seven seasons at three schools, and he will be a 26-year-old rookie.
Jaden Dugger (3), Zylan Perry (3), Kody Jackson (8), Cameron Whitfield (9), Avery Demery (10), Daniel Beale (11), Sam Altmann (16), Jaydon Johnson (18), Maurion Eleam (21), Kerry Wilson (26) and Hunter Sims (48).
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU coach Kim Mulkey talks with guard Flau’jae Johnson during a game against Auburn on Jan. 5 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSU gymnast Konnor McClain performs on the balance beam in a meet against Iowa State on Jan. 3 at the PMAC.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
LSU center Daimion Collins dunks against Florida Gulf Coast on Dec 8 at the PMAC. On Friday, Collins announced he was entering the transfer portal.
FAITH MATTERS
Fortitude helpscouple findhealing
Before the start of Lent, bestselling author and evangelist Kevin Wells shared amessage during avisit to St. Agnes Catholic Church in Baton Rouge that has resonatedthroughout this meaningful season Wells, also an award-winning sports reporter,opened “Reflection on Marriage” withan emphasis on fortitude and later powerful insights on spiritual warfare.
“I’ve covered some of the greatest athletes who have ever lived,” Wells said, listing Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal,Kobe Bryant and Cal Ripken Jr
“They suffered because they all wanted to be the greatestin the history of theirsport. They endured violence. They had lonely nights. They pressed on Theyunderstoodfortitude.”
Wells gained adeeperunderstanding of fortitude and spiritual warfare through his wife Krista, who struggled with personal wounds and alcoholism before finding apath to healing. He documented their journey in his latest book, “The Hermit: The Priest Who Saved aSoul,a Marriage, and aFamily.”
“Fortitude is exactly what theworld needs because it’ll pressusmore to proclaim Jesus Christ like the martyrs at the end of the line,” he said The story’sorigin can be traced back to Wells. In 2009, he was attending a retreat when he took an assessment of his life.
“I had this pressed-down sensation of ‘Shame on you. You’re 40,and you have three kids. Youhave abeautiful wife. You have agreat job. Life’spretty good. You’re too comfortable,’” he said. “The retreat wasn’t working for me, because allit was for me was aweekendincubator to make me feel good about myself.”
In the spirit of humility,he asked God “to be flattened.” Amonth later, Wells suffered abrain aneurysm.
“I couldn’tmove. My body was just nothing. Ihad nothing. And I said, ‘I’m going to die,’ ”hesaid. Fortunately,Wells recovered. “No rhyme or reason, except for God sticking his finger in the midst,” he said. “Weall know this in the church. I’ma beneficiary of it.”
The near-death experience strengthened Wells’ desire for God.
“I wanted to live for God alone. Iintensified my prayer life,” he said. “Double rosaries. Daily Mass. Prison ministry I’m Lazarus from the tomb.”
About that time, Krista began to binge drink red wine
secretly
“Krista starting seeing her husband go places she wasn’t sure she could go,” Wells said. “This gentle, quiet, giving person presented herself as adifferent entity.Satan is involved in alcohol. It just got worse and worse and worse.”
So was the spiritual warfare.
“Satan was roaring,” he said. “I heardhim all the time. Isaw himall the time.”
Abreakthrough came when Krista attended aretreat and met the Rev.Martin Flum.
“This is when everything changed because Krista had her spiritual father,” Wells said. “Krista became healed.” Her eight-year ordeal was over,and the couple is inspiring others with their story
Contact Terry Robinson at terryrobinson622@gmail.com
ClaudeDuval, left, is reunited withhis brother,Stanwood, on the island of IwoJima.The brothers’ storyisthe centerpiece of the Brookshire MilitaryMuseum’sexhibit,‘LSU Commemorates IwoJima’s 80th Anniversary: Honoring the Legacy of the DuvalBrothers.
Brothers in Arms
BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer
Claude Duval’sheadwas
pounding, his joints were aching, and exhaustion had set in.
He was suffering from amix of mosquito-induced dengue fever,effects from the medical treatment for it and afresh sunburn from wading in the Pacific off the coast of Tinian, where abattle awaited.
“The Battle of Tinian came right after the BattleofSaipan,and Claude and his men landedthere on July 25, 1944,” saidJames P. Gregory,director of LSU’sWilliamT.Brookshire MilitaryMuseum in Memorial Tower
“They were ordered to capture the island, and Claude dug afoxhole in the beach to prepare for battle.”
He settled in, then fell asleep, awakingthe next morning to learn the battlehad been fought without him
“He was so sick that he didn’thear thefighting aroundhim,” Gregory said. “It was one of the loudest battles in the Pacific. His brother,Stanwood, haddug in nearby, andhethought Claude was dead until he saw him. He got angry with Claude when he learned that Claude had slept through it.” Gregory laughs, his humor founded notinthe battle’saftermath, where Claude Duval reunited with his brother on abloodybeach scattered with almost500 dead menbut in theirtypicalsibling relationship.
“Theywere already in their early 30s, and were married with their ownfamilies, but they still acted like
ä See BROTHERS, page 6C
STAFFPHOTO By ROBIN
ClaudeDuval carried this Bible given to himbyhis mother throughout his service in the Pacificduring WorldWar II
BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer
New Orleans chef Nini Nguyen has cleared another hurdle on Food Network’ssixth season of “Tournament of Champions.” After successful qualifying rounds and afirst match victory, Nguyen, 38, is next set to square offagainst San Diego-basedchef and frequent TV culinary competitionseries contestant Carlos Anthony They’re vying for aspot in the season’sfinal eight Aformer restaurant chef andbaker,Nguyenis now focused on TV competitive cooking, cooking classes includingpop-upsand writing cookbooks.She published “Dâc Biêt: An Extra-Special Vietnamese Cookbook” in August
2024 with Sarah Zorn. The series, hostedbyGuy Fieri, is asingle-elimination, bracketed tournament, with placement basedonprevious
losing,” Nguyen said last week. But her loss then wastoManet Chauhan, who went on to win the championship. Chauhan, anative of Ludhiana, Punjab, India, also won Season 2and is acurrent judge on the show Still, every chef has achance of being stumped as there’sanother layer of challenge in this contest. It’s calledthe randomizer.Fieri
got to the first round,but Iendedup
See CHEF,
TerryRobinson
PROVIDED PHOTO By WILLIAM A. BROOKSHIRE MILITARy MUSEUM
MILLER
Howtounstick drawers
Dear Heloise: Ihave achest of drawers that is afamilyheirloom. My great-grandfather made it by hand as awedding gift for my grandmother.It’sreally beautiful, and I’m proud to have it in my home office. The only problem is that all of the drawers seem to stick together,and it’sbecome difficult to move drawers in and out. What should Idotomakethe drawers move with ease as they once did?
—A.M., in Kentucky
southern spices?
—F.R., in Pennsylvania
This is whyyou driveseparately
Hints from Heloise
A.M., take awax candle and rub it along both sides of the runners, which are located in the middle on the underside of the bottom of eachdrawer.Also, run candle wax along the bottom edges of each drawer.Thiswill help keep your drawersfrom sticking together —Heloise Louisianaspices
Dear Heloise: My wife is from New Orleans and loves to cook Her dishes are absolutely delicious, but the odor of her cooking can and does lastfor days afterward. Ican be sittingin the living room and stillsmell dinner from two days ago. How can we get rid of those delicious
F.R., scented candles can help, but so can taking afresh furnace filter and adding afew dropsofessential oils to thetop side of the filter. Then just place it backinthe furnace. When the furnace turns on with heat or cool air, the scent of essential oils will fillthe whole house.
—Heloise
Killinggarbage odors
Dear Heloise: My trash can smells awful! For afew years now,it’s sat in the hot Texas sun, and the smell of garbage just seemsto be soakedupbythe heat.How can Iget rid of trash can odors?
—K.A., in Texas
Kelly,take oneortwo slices of bread and soak them in vinegar.After they are completely soaked, place them on apaper towel and put them in thebottom of yourempty trashcan. Leave them there overnight, and the next morning, you can remove them. This should help kill the odor —Heloise
Send ahint to heloise@heloise. com.
RELIGION BRIEFS FROM STAFFREPORTS
Abundant Lifehosts
theater production
Abundant Life ChristianAssembly,58295 Main St., Plaquemine, will present “The Gospel of Jesus Christ” from 6p.m. to 8p.m.Easter Sunday,April 20.
This live production tells the story of Jesus’ birth, ministry, death, resurrection andascension, and features music, special effects and live animals.
Performed in the sanctuary and aisles, the event is broughttolife by avolunteer cast and crew
Doors open at 5:15 p.m. Guests are encouraged to be seated by 5:45 p.m. Admission is free. Lim-
ited wheelchair-accessible seatingisavailable. For moreinformation, call(225) 320-2059 or (877) 573-2522.
Easter Extravaganza held at FirstNew Testament
First New Testament Church, 3235 Aubin Lane, Baton Rouge, will host its Easter Extravaganza from 2p.m. to 5p.m.Saturday, April 19.
This free, all-agesevent features free food, a$300 giveaway scavenger hunt, petting zooand more. For more information, visit eventbrite.com
TODAYINHISTORY
outinthe Manual Alphabet.
By The Associated Press
Today is Saturday,April 5, the 95thday of 2025. There are 270 days left in the year
Todayinhistory: On April 5, 1933, as part of his New Deal programs, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive orderestablishing the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), aDepression-erawork reliefprogram for single men aged 18-25; the program employed more than 2.5 million men for federal conservation and safety projects over its nine-year history
Also on this date: In 1614, Pocahontas, the daughter of Tsenacommacah chief Powhatan, married Englishman John Rolfe, awidower, in the Virginia Colony In 1887, in Tuscumbia, Alabama, teacherAnne Sullivan achieved abreakthrough as her 6-year-old deaf-blind pupil, Helen Keller,learned the meaning of theword “water” as spelled
Continued from page5C
spins five wheels to determine what protein, produce, equipment, style and wildcardingredient mustbeused by the chefs in cooking their dishes.
“I got turkey again, but this time it was turkey wings,” Nguyen recalled, adding that herdesignated protein in the qualifier round had been turkey as well. “I also hadtouse acrepe pan. And then, I’ll never forget, Ihad green grapes and tomatillos, and Ihad to make the dish buttery.” For certain, the equalizer can be your friend or worstenemy
“You just have to be very good at incorporating abunch of weird things together.The randomizer is what humbles all the people whohavealot of experience,because sometimes you get aweird randomizer like that —and what do youdowith that?
“Whenyou’re there, youhave like two minutes to decidewhat you’re going to make, and you just have to make it and hope that you putfood on the plate,” she said.
Fast-forward to this season’s March23episode, when Nguyen’s first matchup pittedher against chef Claudette Zepeda,
Dear Miss Manners: My husband got anew job, and as away to get to know his new co-workers, we decided to host aholiday party at our house. We invited the people he works closest with, his immediate boss, and everyone’sspouses. It was about 10 people in all.
Iamnot used to being ahostess, but put agreat deal of effort,time and money into thefood and decorations. We had turkey,ham and many sides and desserts. The spread was impressive and beautiful. When theguestsarrived, it turned out they had all ridden with the boss and his wife in their large van instead of driving their own cars. About 15 minutes after their arrival, and before hardly any food had been served, the boss’swife got aphone call and said she and her husband needed
In 1951, Juliusand Ethel Rosenberg were sentenced to deathfollowing their conviction in New York on charges of conspiringtocommit espionage for theSoviet Union. (They were executed in June1953.)
In 1991, former Sen. John Tower,R-Texas, hisdaughter Marian and21other people were killed in acommuter planecrash near Brunswick,Georgia.
In 1994, Nirvanalead singer Kurt Cobain died by suicide in hisSeattle, Washington homeat age 27.
Today’sbirthdays: Actor Michael Moriarty is 84. Actor Max Gail is 82. Singer Agnetha Fältskog (ABBA) is 75. Rapper-actor Christopher “Kid” Reid(Kid ’n Play) is 60. Rock musician Mike McCready (Pearl Jam) is 59. Countrymusician PatGreen is 53. Musician-producer Pharrell Williams is 52. Rapper-producer Juicy Jis50. Actor Sterling K. Brown is 49.
also of SanDiego. Therequired protein was, yes,turkeyagain specificallyturkey breast. The randomizer’sotherpicks:cantaloupe, adouble boiler pan, citrusy andradicchio.
“SoI just pray Inever seeturkey again,” shesaid with achuckle.
In 30 minutes, Nguyenwhipped up afried turkey cutlet with a radicchiocitrussalad andcantaloupe lemon curd sabayon
Judges scoreonascale of 100, with 50 pointsdevoted to taste, 40 to use for therandomizer,and 10 to plating.
“First of all, the colors aregorgeous. The ribbons of cantaloupe, excellent. Breadingand frying theturkey,brilliant,” commented judgeNancy Silverton, wellknown chef,baker,authorand James Beard Award winner.“But Iwish Iwould have had more sabayon because Ireally needed more citrus.”
Chef judgesMarcusSamuelsson and Charlie Palmer also critiqued her dishfavorably Nguyen bested Zepeda 86-79 to advance to thetop 16
“Tournament of Champions” returns at 7p.m.Sunday on Food Network,whenthe Nguyen-Anthonyfaceoff is expected. The series also streams on Max.
Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate.com.
to help afriend movesome furniture —right now!She then proceeded to round up all of my guests, load them into their van and drive away,leaving no one forthe party Afortune in food was left on my table. Iremember standing there, looking at it and crying. Iwas so humiliated and angry Ihonestly never wantto host agathering of any kind ever again. My question: Wasthere any waytohave prevented this rude woman from stealing away all of my guests?
Gentlereader: Counter-questions: Did the boss and his wife drop the guestsoff before the emergency furniture move? Were they lefton thestreet? Coerced into helping?
Back to yours: Perhaps you could have told the other guests that you and your husband would
help arrange transportation for them —either taking them home yourselves or facilitating rideshares or taxis. More importantly,Miss Manners hopes that with time, you will realize that this rudeness was extreme and rare, and that you will try your hand at entertaining again. It sounds as if you are good at it. She also hopes that your husband’snew job is not similarly fraught with chaos —orthat his boss is sufficiently contrite that he gets something out of the dreadful experience.
Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.
BROTHERS
Continuedfrom page5C
siblings,” Gregorysaid. “You can readinto that in theletters they sent home.” 80th anniversary Gregory tells their story in the yearlong exhibit,“LSUCommemorates Iwo Jima’s80th Anniversary: Honoring theLegacy of the Duval Brothers.”
The LSU Military Museum’s mission is to highlight thestories of military menand womenwith connections to the university.The Houma natives attendedLSU in the 1930s with Stanwood Duval earning his bachelor’s degree in chemistry. Claude Duval left for Tulane University,where he earned alaw degree.
The exhibit follows theirstory fromenlistment in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves in 1941 to the 1944 battles on the Japanese islands of Roi-Namur,Saipan and Tinian, endingatIwo Jima in early1945, where Claude Duval served as a battalionintelligenceofficer and Stanwood as asecond lieutenant.
The brothers survived thewar andreturned to Houma, where Stanwood Duval opened an insurance office. Claude Duvalwas elected to the Louisiana State Senate, which later named ameeting room for him in the bottom of the LouisianaState Capitol.
But theynever stopped talking about their experiences in the war, wheretheypurposelyapplied for assignments in units that placed them in the same places and times.
“The military’sSole Survivor Policy didn’tapply in this case,” Gregory said. “The Navy’srule was for enlisted men, so officers didn’thave to follow it.”
Tinian was the Duvals’ third battle. Theirfinal stop wasIwo Jima, where theU.S. Marines’ conquest was immortalized by photographerJoe Rosenthal’sshotofU.S Marines raising theflag on Mount Suribachi.
SeparatedonIwo
“They got separated on Iwo,” Gregory said. “Stanwood was in the first wave to hit the beaches, and Claude was just watching.”
Stanwood Duvallandedonthe beach with10men in his company Seven were killed within thefirst two hours.
“So, he loses his company on the
uniform stands as the centerpiece of the Brookshire MilitaryMuseum’sexhibit,‘LSU Commemorates IwoJima’s 80th Anniversary: Honoring the Legacy of the DuvalBrothers.
beach, andClaude is in the transport listening to theradio,” Gregory said. “He can hear his brother calling in artillery,but it keeps failing because his radios keep getting blown up.”
Then silence.
“Claudethinks something happened to Stanwood because he is nottalking anymore,and by the timehegets to the beach and up to thefirst airfield, he finally runs into Stanwood,” Gregory said. “That’s where this photo was taken.”
Areunion
Gregory points out an exhibit photo of thetwo brothers holding aJapanese flag, taken the moment they reunited.
It’sthe same photo that captures the attention of Claude Duval’s daughter, Dorothy Duval Nelson, when she later walks into themuseum with husband, Charles and son Lee Clayburn Nelson, who flew in from his homeinNew York.
“I sawthatpicture,and Isaid, ‘Oh,thatjust brings it allback
home, right there,’”Dorothy Nelson said. Her niece —Stanwood Duval’s granddaughter,Ann Gwin Duval Rivera —agrees after walking in from Houmafor asurprisereunionwiththe Nelsons. It’s perfect timing as their reunion coincides withthatofthe Duvalbrothersin the photo.
“They talked alot about their experiences in the war,soitwas a big part of my life growing up with that kind of conversation going on around me,” DorothyNelsonsaid “And Iwish more people hadthe opportunity to perceive abit of it.” Dorothy Nelson walks over to atrunk on thefar side of the exhibit. It belonged to her father and traveled with him to every assignment. Military-issued itemsare still neatly arrangedinseparate compartments.
Lettersfound
Gregory discovered letters and other papers in the bottom after she donated it the museum.He’s combining thesewritings, along with thebrothers’ unpublished memoirs, into abook. Both memoirs are candid, but apassage near the end of Claude Duval’saccount is particularly so. In it,Claude Duvalwrites about returning to Iwo Jimafor areunion, where he was approached by aman whohad foughtthereat age 19.
The manshared astory of how his lieutenant ordered him to fire aflamethrower,which ultimately ignited ammunitionina nearby blockhouse and accidentally killed the lieutenant. “I told him he absolutely did the right thing,” Claude Duval wrote. “First of all, Lt. LaRose had orderedhim to blast the blockhouse with his flamethrower.Secondly Isaid, ‘He should have done it.’ Thirdly,ifhehad not, Iwould’ve told him to do it, and Iwould’ve shot him if he didn’tdoit. He said, ‘Well, it makes me feel better talking to you, knowing that Idid the right thing.’” “That’sthe passage Iwant to end my book with,” Gregory said. And it would be aperfect ending. The William A. Brookshire Military Museum is located in Memorial Tower on theLSU campus. Hoursare from 10 a.m. to 3p.m Monday throughFriday.Admission is free. Call (225) 334-2003. Email RobinMilleratromiller@ theadvocate.com.
Judith Martin
MISS MANNERS
STAFFPHOTO By ROBIN MILLER
DorothyDuval Nelson, left, and herson Lee Nelson look at the neatly arranged military-issued items in thetrunk Claude Duval carried withhim during WorldWar II. Claude Duval was DorothyNelson’sfather.She donatedthe trunk to the Brookshire MilitaryMuseum at LSU
ClaudeDuval’s
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Put more energy into what you do and how you present yourself and your attributes. Take the high road anddon'tlook back Letting go of the past is halfthe battle.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Tidyup; take astab at streamlining your lifeand decluttering your space. Put your energy into altering your lifestyle to encourage peace of mind and more time for purposeful pastimes.
GEMINI(May 21-June 20) Bideyour time. Refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don't want or need.Reach out to connections, getthe lowdown and make choices based on what is easiest foryou.
CANCER(June 21-July 22) Get your facts straight beforeyou share information. Put moretime and thoughtinto how youuse your energy and skills to get things done and raiseyour profile.
LEO(July 23-Aug.22) Keep your mind motivated and moving in an innovative direction. Learnall you can and adapt your findings to service your skills. It's up to you to find waystostand out in a competitive world.
VIRGO(Aug.23-Sept.22) Introduce yourself to people and pastimes that excite you. Participate in community events andbereceptive to adopting changes that can benefit you personally
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Take in the atmosphere.The inspirationyou receive from interacting with peoplewho are unique, creative or knowledgeable
about subjects that spark your curiosity will spur you to digdeeper.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov.22) Don't hide whenyou shouldbeout and about Social eventswill change your perspective regarding someone of interest. Participation is your passport to betteroptions, new beginnings and positive lifestyle changes.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Thinkbig, but don'tgoover budget. Someone will interfere or try to persuadeyou to take on responsibilities you don't need or want. Protect your money,possessions and reputation.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Youare sitting in abetter position than someone would have you believe. Listen to criticism, but decide for yourselfwhat's best for you. Be passionate about the process, journey and overall outcome.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Afinancial opportunity is apparent. Buying, selling or investing more time or money in yourselforyour future is encouraged and will send you down arewarding path.
PISCES (Feb.20-March 20) Livelife your way. Follow your heart, liveinthe moment andparticipate in events and activities that pump you up. Say no to temptation, excessive behavior and overspending.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms arecreated from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipherstands for another.
TODAy'S CLUE: HEQUALSP
CeLebrItY CIpher For better or For WorSe
AnderneSt
SALLYForth
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
LAGoon
bIG nAte
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS CurTiS
BY PHILLIP ALDER Bridge
John Ruskin, who died in 1900, wasan English art critic and philanthropistwho also wroteona wide range of subjects. He said, “Sunshine is delicious,rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating;thereisreallynosuchthing as badweather, only different kinds of good weather.”
Somepeople would notagree with that, especially those who liveyear-round in awarmclimate. But at the bridge table, sometimes the weather looks inclement withbad suit breaks,but occasionally the sun still shines.Intoday’s deal,how shouldSouthplayinthreeno-trumpafter West leads the heart king?
In this auction, South’s two-diamond advance was forcing forone round. (I like this agreement. If two diamonds is nonforcing, Southhas to cue-bid two hearts first with all good hands. Iprefer acue-bid to promisesupportfor partner’s suit.) On the secondround, South took ashotatthe nine-trick game, hopingpartner hadsomethinginspades (or that West would notlead that suit).
Notice that five diamonds goes down on the likely heartlead.
